The Nomad
by WarsOfShadows
Summary: With the other starters gone and only a Sableye left, Ash decides to forget about a Squirtle and set off on a journey with a Sableye to conquer the world and rise as a legend. Crossover of sorts between the games and the anime. [Discontinued; rewritten as Trainer.]
1. The Start of a Journey

**After seeing _The darkness takes over,_ I've decided to do a fic that I'll actually complete*. I've decided on updating once a week or more frequently than that. This is going to be a mixture of the games and the anime, with _very_ few things from the manga. I'll also be dropping a lot of episodes out, so say goodbye to your favourite CoDs! I hope you guys enjoy this one, and don't forget to tell me your thoughts on this chapter.**

 _ **Warning: This is going to be slightly darker than the anime, and death's pretty common, but it's not going to be a dystopia where people die because of a Tackle. But sometimes, people die at the hands of enraged pokemon - because they're not unicorns in disguise - and evil team members may have to kill people by using either their pokemon or weapons i.e guns and stuff. And sometimes, the goodies have to kill the bad guys.**_

 **That being said, let's get on with the story. R &R!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon, and this is going to apply for ever chapter.**

 _ **Note: I would also like to give a shout-out to The Straight Elf, because I drew inspiration from him and most of this is from Traveler since I absolutely didn't know what to do. Like TheLeadBrick pointed out, it is rude for me not to give credit to him/her.**_

* * *

 _Tomorrow's probably the most important day of my life,_ he reflected. He then shook his head as he turned off the lights. _No, tomorrow_ IS _the most important day of my life._

He had been eagerly waiting for this ever since last month, when the final year of the Trainer School had ended, and he would be getting a pokémon of his very own. Ash had been weighing the pros and cons of each of the starter pokémon of the Kanto region since last month, heavily reading various books written by professor Oak on pokémon and types. Seeing his brother's pokémon, a Blastoise, Venusaur and Charizard, had troubled him even further and he couldn't decide which one to choose.

He reminisced one of professor Oak's seminar on pokémon evolution at the Oak's Trainer Institute just a few months ago. "Pokémon Evolution is basically metamorphosis," he had explained in the simplest of ways. "You will know when you're pokémon will evolve if you see them in a slightly unusual behavior of if there is any minor physical change in them."

Ash had also learnt that pokémon evolve purely by experience or by the energy radiated by evolutionary stones. The funniest par was that some pokémon needed the energy given off by trades to evolve into their next stages. But the best part was the new discovery in evolution in the Kalos region, something about Mega Evolution.

There were currently forty-six species that could mega evolve, but more were yet to be discovered. The best part was that the Kanto Starter pokémon could mega evolve too.

"Man, this is so hard," he complained to himself. "Now all three can mega-evolve, but Charizard has _two_ mega evolutions! Beat that!"

The worst part was that those pokémon needed something known as mega stones to evolve, and they were rare – _very_ rare. You couldn't just find them in your neighborhood. They were found in the worst and hardest-to-find places possible: in a Dratini's pond, in a raging desert or even very close to a Beedrill's beehive.

But he didn't care about that. He just wanted a starter pokémon. After fifteen more minutes of deciding, he finally settled on Squirtle, the water type pokémon.

…but Gary had decided on that too. And seeing that Gary was professor Oak's grandson, he had a minute chance of getting Squirtle.

Gary and he had been best friends from the start, and they used to go for movies together. They enjoyed their moments a lot. Well, the friendship lasted until they were fishing and found a pokeball in bother their hooks, and they fought and fought until they both came home with a broken nose and a pokeball half that split during the fight. But they kept it nonetheless. They both agreed that it was a good-luck charm.

"Ash, Honey, go to sleep now!" a voice called out from below. "You've got a very big day tomorrow!"

Ash grumbled before he took note of to his mother's command. He fished out the TV remote from under his pillow and stopped Agatha's and Bruno's battle midway.

Sighing, he tucked into his bed, put the alarm clock next to him and was about to switch of the lights before he yelled, "Hey, Red! Can you wake me up at eight o'clock sharp in case I don't get up? I seriously don't want to end up like you!"

Ash grinned as he heard a chuckle from downstairs. "Yeah, no problem, Ash," Red replied.

Ash grinned once more before he closed his eyes. About five years ago, Red had started his pokémon journey but got up really late, and he ended up with a Pikachu instead his desired Charmander. His rival-now-best friend, Blue, always mocked him till date about his antics once he saw the three pokéballs empty. Nevertheless, that didn't stop him from putting a pin up Blue's bottom and receiving his title as Kanto Champion.

After that, Red was rarely at home, therefore weakening Ash and Red's relation as brothers. He only used to come once a year, mostly during Christmas, but he had come this year for a month only because of Ash's big day.

The raven-haired boy shook his head as he focused on sleep. That was all he needed to get up as early as possible and get his wonderful Squirtle, provided Gary didn't snatch it from him…

* * *

" _Chu!_ "

"GAAAH!"

Ash literally jumped out of his bed as a small burst of electricity struck him on his back, electrocuting him and making him open his eyes wide. He groaned as he turned, rolled down his bed and then glared at Pikachu, who was rolling on the floor with immense laughter.

"Finding that funny, eh, Pikachu?" Ash asked angrily. He weakly motioned to grab the yellow rodent, but the mouse pokémon simply scurried out of the room and left Ash in his half-sleepy state.

"Dammit!" Ash yelled. "Screw you, Pikachu!"

"Language, Ash!" his mother hushed as she entered his room.

"But…" Ash trailed off once he knew he lost the argument.

"Now get ready." His mother put her hands on her hips before giving a devilish smile at her son. "Or do you want me to call Lateralus and wake you up further?"

Ash's eyes widened in fear and terror. He jerkily shook his head and his mother walked off in triumph.

Lateralus was a Porygon – Red's Porygon, to be specific. Although now Red had decided to give it to Ash, since he had grown fond of it. Red had basically left Lateralus to help Delia in her chores, having a hostile relationship with Mr. Mime, and the two pokémon would constantly bicker between them and create a comical moment for the family. Red now decided to leave it in Ash's care and to check on him during his journey, which Ash readily accepted.

Ash had once got it to show and tell to school, where his classmates were surprised by him bringing in such a rare pokémon, but they were even more surprised by the name given to the Porygon. Ash had shown the class a few of its attacks, such as the basic tackle and a Psybeam.

"Why'd you name it Lateralus?" a student would ask.

That was when Ash would give a big grin. "Well, I didn't name him Lateralus, my brother did, and there's quite some logic behind it. You see, 'Lateral' is a part of the word 'Quadrilateral', which is a polygon, of which Porygon's body shape is made up of. Plus, it's a Tool reference. Cool, no?"

But the students would merely stare at him with blank expressions and avoid him for the day.

Ash turned to the clock beside him and saw the time – 8:30 AM. He smiled as he got up and changed into his clothes in a matter of seconds, but his mother forced him to go for a bath and freshen himself up.

He later went down to enjoy a breakfast of cold milk, toast and eggs. Ash gobbled up about six eggs before he let out an enormous belch, disgusting his mother and earning a howl of laughter from Red.

"Oh!" Delia exclaimed as she wiped a plate clean and looked at the clock. "Ash, you better get going. Don't you have to get there at nine, as you told me?"

"Oh, come on, mom!" Ash groaned. "I'll go there in a few minutes." He looked at the raised eyebrow and quickly added another sentence. "But, if you're telling me to do it, then I'll have to go." He got up from his seat, dumped the plate in the sink and added another task for Mr. Mime to do.

"Good. I'll have your backpack ready by the time you come back."

Ash smiled at her and nodded, the excitement killing any words he might have said. He walked off in the direction of Oak's lab, and he smiled and waved to some of the people that wished him good luck on his journey. Pallet was such a small town that everybody knew that he and a few other kids would be starting today.

He then met Leaf. She waved to him and walked closer to him, and he took a quick glance at her. She was wearing a crimson skirt and a baby-blue top, matching with her white fedora. A half pokeball sign was etched on the fedora and she adjusted it as she blushed once she saw Ash.

"Hey, Ash!" she greeted.

"Hiya, Leaf!" Ash sounded a tad bit surprised. "I didn't think that you'd come so early."

"Well, since you announced that you'd be coming so early to the whole of Pallet town, I decided that I would join you," Leaf replied, blushing once more.

They talked some more about which starter they would want and Leaf told him for the umpteenth time that Bulbasaur is the best pokémon ever. Ash rolled his eyes as he digested the old opinion of hers before they saw Ritchie.

Ritchie was dressed in primarily green, but featuring a few spot of yellow on him. He was wearing the green and yellow 'Johto Winner's' hat, which had a blue front, along with the blue-green jacket covering most of his green shirt. His pants were green too, but a hint of yellow could be seen on them.

Ash tugged on the front of his cap as Ritchie walked forward, ready to start the age-old argument.

"Why are you wearing that silly hat?" Ritchie asked. "The Johto Winner's hat is _way_ better than yours."

"Oh, yea? Well, the Pokémon League Expo hat is promoted by LANCE!" Ash countered, screaming the last words.

Although Ash and Ritchie were the best of friends, they could never stop arguing on this topic. Leaf was usually around to stop the fight. She was basically the group's pacifist.

In no time at all he was at the large white building. Its windows looked shiny in the sunlight, and he saw that three other kids were standing in front of the doors. Ash walked up nervously, but before he could greet them a familiar, irritating voice broke out from them.

"Oh, look!" Gary said arrogantly. "It's the loser. I'm surprised that you even showed up, y'know. Everyone knows that I'm going to beat you."

Ash was about to snap back when professor Oak entered the room. He carefully placed the books in his hand on the table and welcomed them.

"Well, well. It seems all of you are here on time," Professor Oak said, giving the four a smile. "I know all of you are very excited. A whole new adventure awaits you all! It's the incredible world of pokémon! Your journey with your partner pokémon will have many fun times, but also there may be dangerous times as well. If it ever comes to that, you must use your pokémon to protect you. Always remember this, though. Your pokémon are not just there to protect you from danger, they are also your friends and partners. Do you understand?" They all nodded.

 _This is it. I can't wait to get my new pokémon!_ Ash thought to himself in pure joy.

 _Here it is,_ Leaf thought to herself. _Bulbasaur, here I come!_

 _Heh, the world will finally know what a real trainer is,_ Gary thought with arrogance.

 _This is so exciting!_ Ritchie gave a huge grin. _I can't believe it!_

He led them into a large room with a large computer on one side. In the hub of the room was a circular table with three pokéballs sitting on top of it. Professor Oak stood next to it and smiled reassuringly at them, and it was then that Ash noticed a small problem.

"Professor Oak…?" He asked quietly. Oak looked at him curiously, and despite knowing the man for years Ash found himself regretting speaking up. "There are only three pokéballs."

Oak looked confused for a moment before he realized the problem.

"Oh! I must have made a mistake," Oak said, cheeks turning red from embarrassment. Ash and the other two trainers looked at each other anxiously, not sure if they would get their starters today.

"Don't worry." Oak said as he saw the look they shared. "You'll all get a pokémon. One of you will just have to wait a few minutes for me to procure one."

They shared a sigh of relief. Oak smiled and continued.

"Now, who is willing to wait on their pokémon? I don't want the others to have to wait."

Everyone shared a moment of silence. Gary wasn't paying attention since he was sure to get one of the three pokémon no matter what. The other three trainers just looked at each other, silently hoping that one of the others would volunteer.

After a few moments passed and it became evident that no one was going to say anything, Ash spoke up. He felt a lump of disappointment in his throat as he realized he would have to wait but decided it didn't matter. As long as he got a starter it was fine.

"I'll wait," He said sadly. Oak looked impressed with him and smiled.

"Good. Just let the others get their pokémon and I'll see if I have any others ready." Oak turned away from him and addressed the others. "One of the pokéballs contains Bulbasaur, the grass-type pokémon, one contains Charmander, the fire-type pokémon, and the other contains Squirtle, the water-type pokémon. Choose your pokémon wisely. Who would like to go first?"

"Ladies first," Ritchie said, making Leaf smile.

Gary simply shrugged. "As long as I get a Squirtle, I don't care." He turned and smirked at Ash.

Oh, how Ash felt like jabbing him in the face! But he kept the feeling aside and saw Leaf hurrying to Bulbasaur's pokeball. She pushed the middle button and a sparling beam shot out, materialising the Bulbasaur on the floor.

"Bulbasaur!" the pokémon cried out, making Leaf smile once more and bend down as she rubbed Bulbasaur's head.

"Bulbasaur, would you like to travel with me?" she asked.

The pokémon paused for a moment before signalling its approval, making Leaf squeal in joy as she absorbed Bulbasaur back into the pokeball in her hand.

Ritchie then went next and grabbed the Charmander's pokeball, releasing the flame pokémon out of the pokeball. Charmander growled in approval before the pokémon was absorbed back into its pokeball.

"That leave's Squirtle to me, then." Gary snatched the last pokeball from the circular table and released the pokémon contained in it. Apparently the Squirtle took a liking to Gary, but only because the turtle smiled at him.

"Now that you have your pokémon, could you please return them? I have an important announcement."

Gary grumbled as he returned his Squirtle and cockily stared at his grandfather. Leaf and Ritchie didn't say anything and just looked at the old professor. Ash followed their example.

"Now that I have your attention, I'm going to give you each a project to work on during your travels. You see, recently I invented a machine called the pokedex. It collects a detailed amount of information on pokémon, but I need someone else to search the world for me. I'm too old to gather them myself, so I'm entrusting each of you a pokedex to collect the information for me."

With that said he opened up a small bag on a table in the corner and withdrew four small red computers. He handed one to each of them, and Ash looked at curiously before wondering why he had four pokedexes ready but only three pokémon.

"Err, Professor Oak?" He asked. The old man looked at him after he had given Gary a pokedex. "Why did you have four pokedexes but only three pokémon?"

"I have lots of Pokedexes in that bag." Oak explained. He turned back to the new trainers. "Once you activate the pokedex and put your information in it will serve as your identity. Now, the pokedex gives you information on any pokémon you come across. For example, it will give you what type it is, what it likes to eat, what species it is, and will tell you what moves it knows."

Ash's eyes widened as he heard just how much the pokedex could do. Professor Oak continued to list its features, which revealed that it had information like the pokémon's habitat, gender, and a detailed description on the species. When he scanned something with it the pokedex it would give a basic summary of the pokémon, but to learn more about it he had to actually open it up and read.

"Make sure to activate the pokedex at your earliest opportunity. Ash, please stay in here."

He made sure to activate the pokedex while he was waiting. It was a simple process that began once he turned it on and all he had to do was put his name and other information into it.

Professor Oak finally came back holding a plain pokeball. Ash jumped out of his seat in excitement and anxiously waited for Oak to give him his new partner. When Oak held his hand out Ash practically snatched the small orb out of his hand and stared at it in awe.

"Now, this pokémon is very special," professor Oak said slowly.

He pressed the release button and eagerly watched as red energy shot out of the ball and coalesced into a small, purple creature. Ash was momentarily disappointed at not getting Squirtle, but that was soon forgotten.

The red beam shot out of the pokeball and landed on the table as it began to take shape. The kids all waited anxiously to see what kind of pokémon would come out of the pokeball. The shape the beam was taking became clearer, and it was soon obvious to everyone that it wasn't going to be a Charmander, Bulbasaur, or Squirtle that would come out. The beam finally stopped shooting as the pokémon began to appear.

The pokémon was bipedal, with a dark-purple body and pale-blue gemstones for eyes. The pokémon also had a red gemstone on the chest, and the pokémon curled before acknowledging Ash's presence and staring at him. After a while, the pokémon grinned broadly before tilting its head sideways.

It was a Sableye.

* * *

 _ ***Since 90% of you guys didn't see the asterisk at the upper A/N, I'm going to clarify something: I am NOT discontinuing The darkness takes over . I am merely saying that it's on hiatus, and I'm having major writer's block problems for it, so I've kept it at the side for now.**_

 **Now, for the rest of the author's notes!**

 **That Porygon nickname sounds very geeky. I was first going to keep it as Norton but then my friend, who aces at mathematics, suggested me this name and I thought it would fit in. Expect me to make Ash give nicknames for most of his pokemon and I'll delve deeper into the meanings of the nicknames.**

 **Then, I would like to say that Red is NOT Ash's father, but another guy is. I'm not going to spoil it for you guys now but I'll give you all a little yet big hint: you'll see him in Sinnoh (that is _if_ I decide to continue this further than just the Kanto arc).**

 **So I've included Ritchie and Leaf. Leaf was because I felt like including her, and Ritchie was probably for the same reason too...And I wanted him to make an early appearance rather than a later rival. And yes, another of Ash's rivals is going to make a very early appearance, so stay tuned to find out who he is!**

 **...And I think that that's all. Let me know what you guys think and I'll see you guys next chapter!**


	2. The Gyarados' Rampage

**So here it is, everyone! Chapter two. I decided to write it as fast as I can just after I uploaded the first chapter and voilà! And thank you for the reviews/favourites/follows! Anyway, R &R!**

 **Nope...Don't own pokemon.**

* * *

 _Edit: Corrected Venus' Greek to Roman. Thank you,_ The 6th Spectral King _and a guest reviewer, for pointing that out._

* * *

Everyone stared at the pokémon that had come out of the pokeball. They certainly were not expecting a Sableye to come out. In turn, Sableye stared uncertainly at everyone around it. It didn't quite know what to make of the situation. What it did know was one raven-haired boy was standing a little too close, though.

Ash was the first one to give any real reaction, and his face broke out into a wide grin. He then leaned forward to get a little closer.

"Hey, Sableye!" he said, waving his hand slightly. The Sableye simply tilted its head sideways and gave and questioning look. "I'm Ash Ketchum. Would you like to go on a journey with me?"

The Sableye simply stared for a moment before breaking out into a wide grin. The pokémon jumped up and down in joy and wrapped the dark-blue arms around Ash's neck.

"Looks like this Sableye sure has taken a liking towards you, Ash," professor Oak said as he walked closer.

"Yeah!" Ash quickly fished out his pokedex and put Sableye in the line of sight. The pokedex scanned the Sableye and gave a summary on Sableye.

 **"Sableye, the darkness pokémon, is a dual Dark and Ghost type pokémon. Sableye digs the ground with its sharpened claws to find rocks that it eats. Substances in these eaten rocks crystalize and rise up to the pokémon's body surface.**

 **"This Sableye is female and has the ability Prankster, which gives non-attacking moves a higher speed priority. This Sableye knows the moves: Night Shade, Sucker Punch, Leer and Teleport, but barely."**

"Teleport…?" Ash asked curiously, surprised at this fact. As far as he knew, Sableye could not learn Teleport, even by breeding.

"That's what makes this Sableye so special," Oak explained. "We don't know how this is possible, but we found this Sableye running to my ranch, bruised up. She's an intelligent and mischievous little pokémon of her species, she is."

"Wow…"

"But all of your pokémon are a few months old." The children groaned at this bit of information, but they expected it nonetheless. "So raise them properly. Now, about the pokedexes. As soon as you see a pokémon you haven't come across yet, make sure to open up the pokedex to get its information. I have spent almost my whole adult life studying pokémon, but I'm getting on in years and can't do field research like I used to. If you manage to fill up the pokedex with every known pokémon, I will have a special award for you."

The four kids nodded, signifying they understood.

"And here are your–" Oak pulled out a box, which further contained five boxes, "–Travel Packs! Each of you gets five pokéballs, three antidotes, in case you or your pokémon are poisoned, a few potions and…that's about it!"

The four new trainers took one box from the big case and held them under their underarms.

"Now, begin your journey! New pokémon await you!" Oak enthusiastically exclaimed. The new trainers, except for Gary, thanked the professor and ran outside the laboratory.

As soon as they came out, Gary stood in front of Ash with a cocky smile on his face. Ash gritted his teeth as he saw Gary withdraw his pokeball.

"C'mon." Gary released his pokémon, and the Squirtle landed on the ground with the same smirk as his trainer. "I bet Squirtle can beat your Sableye easily."

Ash grinned as he sent out Sableye, and she clawed in the air with a big grin as she stared at her opponent. "Hey, Sableye, can you beat Squirtle for me?" Ash asked, to which the darkness pokémon nodded jerkily. "Thanks, Sableye!"

Sableye turned towards her opponent and grew a serious look on her face as she clawed at the ground. Squirtle shrunk back as he saw the intimidated look, but he quickly shook off the feeling and balled his fists. "Squirtle, use Water Gun!"

"Sableye, use Teleport to dodge it and then use, uh, Sucker Punch!"

Sableye smirked as Squirtle readied the Water Gun in his mouth. Then, she quickly dematerialised as the blast of water was about to hit her, and then magically appeared a few steps away from Squirtle. She then gave a powerful blow to Squirtle's stomach, and even though his shell defended his torso the water type couldn't help but double over in pain and let out a growl.

"Awesome!" Ash jabbed a fist in the air.

"W-What?" Gary looked utterly shocked, and he couldn't digest the fact that his pokémon had received an attack.

"Sableye, finish him off with a Night Shade!"

"Squirtle, Withdraw!"

Squirtle quickly tucked his body in the shell, while Sableye's eyes glowed red. She then fired two black beams outlined in blood red from them, cleanly going through the head-hole of Squirtle's shell and striking the tiny turtle as he shrieked in pain. It was clear that he was knocked out since he didn't come out despite Gary's pleas.

"Grr! I'll get you for that, Ashy-boy!" Gary quickly absorbed his pokémon in the pokeball and hopped into a convertible full of cheerleaders, much to Ash's surprise. Deciding not to ponder upon it, he quickly walked up to his victorious pokémon.

"Sableye, you did awesomely well!" Ash rubbed the pokémon's head, feeling the lukewarm and smooth skin that sheathed her innards. "What do I call you…hmm…Hey! Is 'Amethyst' alright?"

Sableye thought for a moment before nodding and crying, "Saaaableye!"

"Okay, Amethyst," Ash replied.

"That was AWESOME!" Ash turned as he saw Ritchie and Leaf stepping down the stairs and congratulating them on his first victory. "I can't believe that you finally taught Gary a lesson!"

"Heh, I told you guys. I'm gonna be a Pokémon Master!" Ash threw a punch in the air, followed by Amethyst, who was mimicking him. Leaf simply giggled.

"We should probably be leaving as well. I promised my mom and dad that I would stop by before I left," Leaf said. She then turned to Bulbasaur. "Are you ready Bulbasaur?" she asked, receiving a nod from the grass-type pokémon.

"Yeah, I have to go by my house also," Ritchie said.

"Okay. Let's go!" Ash said enthusiastically as he pumped his fist into the air.

* * *

"Hey Mom, Red! I'm back!" Ash called as he and Amethyst entered his house.

"I'm in the kitchen, sweetie! I'm just finishing up with the dishes!" Delia answered back.

They then walked into the kitchen just as Delia was stacking the last plate in the cabinet. She was still in her white apron and yellow rubber gloves and had her back turned to him. Red was still munching on cornflakes, reading the newspaper and he still hadn't combed his hair properly. "So what kind of pokémon did you end up getting?" she asked as she took off her gloves and began wiping her hands.

"I got the best one of them all, Mom – a Sableye!" Ash stated proudly.

"Sableye!" Amethyst added gleefully.

"You got a Sableye? I thought the starters were Charmander, Bulbasaur, or Squirtle," Red said in confusion before turning around to face Ash and Sableye.

"They are, but they were—"

"Oh come on, Red. Didn't you get Pikachu when you started off?" Delia interrupted rather rudely. She then turned down to look at Amethyst. "Oh, Ash! It's so cute!" She cried before scooping Amethyst up.

"Amethyst's a she, Mom," Ash corrected.

"Who cares?" Delia said bluntly. "She's still cute!" She delightfully hugged Amethyst, who quickly escaped from the bone-crushing hug by teleporting away from her and onto the floor and gave Delia a small scare.

"Did she…?" Red started.

"Yep," Ash said as he nodded. "She knows Teleport!"

"But how can–"

"Even professor Oak doesn't know," Ash answered. "But she's still cool!"

Amethyst walked next to Ash's feet and sat down. She seemed to be listening for something, although Ash thought the little creature was just paranoid.

After a few minutes his mom brought out his blue backpack and handed it to him. Ash unzipped and looked inside to make sure it had everything he would need.

"So Red and I pooled in our money to buy you the Hammerspace Bag from Silph Co," Delia excitedly informed. "It was new in the market and Red and I thought that it'd be perfect! You can fit anything in it!" She let out a squeal as she clapped her hands.

The newly introduced Hammerspace bag was another invention of Silph Co. It was a simply backpack from outside, but it was quite peculiar on the inside. It was made up of 4D technology which could literally fit anything inside it and up to any amounts. It was now popular amongst trainers but fairly expensive.

"Thanks, Mom! You too, Red! I appreciate it a lot," Ash thanked.

"You better," Red said, and he then laughed.

Delia then cleared he throat. "I have a fresh change of clothes if your current ones get dirty. I packed a few snacks in case you get hungry. I packed a jacket in case you get cold. Here is your sleeping bag since I imagine you will be sleeping outside some nights. Here are some nice rubber gloves and a water keg so you can do your laundry and dishes. I also got your toothbrush and toothpaste, a few bars of soap, and…"

"Okay, Mom! I got it," Ash interrupted.

"Stay safe, Honey," his mother said as she smiled at him.

"Mom," Red groaned. "I told you, Lateralus is going with him! He doesn't have anything to be afraid of."

Delia nodded. But although Lateralus would always keep an eye on him, they all knew that it had never battled. So that meant that Ash simply had to raise the Porygon and teach it a few moves here and there.

Upon hearing its name, the virtual pokémon floated down the stairs with all of its speed and abruptly halted before Ash's face. Its hexagonal eyes blinked before it perched down on his new trainer's shoulder, indicating that he should be going by now. Red fished out the Porygon's pokeball and handed it to Ash.

Delia sighed. She then gazed sadly at her son. She really would miss him while he was gone. She began to tear up. "Oh, Ash! I'm going to miss you!" Delia said as she embraced her son.

"I'll miss you too, Mom," Ash said back as he returned the hug.

Ash was just about to get out of Delia's line of vision when she yelled out with a smirk, "Don't forget to change your underwear, Honey!"

" _MOM!"_ Ash yelled back, while Red simply howled with laughter.

* * *

"Leaf, Ritchie! Are you guys ready or what?"

The two turned around to see Ash and his Sableye running madly towards them while Lateralus was floating speedily to catch up. The trio reached in front of Leaf's house immediately to let her know of their presence further, but they didn't see Ritchie anywhere.

"Where's…Ritchie…?" Ash asked as he panted.

"Oh, don't talk to me about that smelly fart!" Leaf snapped, causing Ash to flinch. "Oh, he just came up to me and said that he doesn't want to travel with us and simply wants to strengthen up himself and his pokémon. I'm telling you, if I see him at the Indigo League and I don't beat him in a battle, I'll change my name to Bob."

"Okay…" Ash shifted nervously in his spot.

"Shall we go, then?" Leaf asked, and Ash nodded. The girl waved to her parents for the last time and headed into Route One.

* * *

"Finally on the road, aren't we, Amethyst?" Ash asked his walking partner. Lateralus wasn't floating by his side anymore – he'd decided that it would better be kept in its own pokeball for now.

Ash languorously stretched out his arms as he stared upwards and through the layers of leaves. Amethyst simply hopped here and there, teleporting a few steps away from her previous spot as she laughingly chased Leaf's Bulbasaur.

"Why did you name her Venus, again?" Ash asked for the umpteenth time.

Leaf rolled her eyes, and sighed a second later. "See, I called her Venus because she's going to evolve into a big and beautiful Venusaur one day! And Venus is said to be the Roman Goddess of Beauty and Love." There was an awkward pause for a moment before Leaf spoke up once again as she adjusted her fedora. "Are you going to battle the Pewter Gym or the Viridian Gym first?"

Ash rubbed his chin for a moment. "The Pewter Gym, mainly because it's the easiest to beat amongst the eight and it has a many weaknesses, like Ice, Fighting, Ground itself and particularly Water and Grass types. That's why I'm planning on catching a grass type here or in Viridian Forest."

"Well, all you'll ever get there is icky bugs," Leaf commented. "But still, I'd like to catch a handful of them to fill up my pokedex. That's my dream, and I know you know it because I told you this a million times. And I know that you want to be a pokémon master," she added once she saw Ash's mouth about to open.

"Yeah, that's right." Ash jabbed a fist in the air as soon as Amethyst teleported right next to Ash. "And Amethyst's going to help me along the way, aren't you?" The Sableye cried out in acceptance.

The cool breeze drifted once again and made Leaf's chestnut brown hair flow for the second time. Ash simply stared at the road in front of him, showing only more trees and more grass.

They weren't going on a fast pace. Sure, he hadn't aimed to reach Viridian city in less than a day, unlike the other fanatic trainers that had set off a month earlier, but they were going to take longer than usual at this speed. He looked at the sky, which showed the sun setting and sending out dusk. They had to set camp right away for the night.

"I sure hope the Spearow flock isn't going to attack us at night," Leaf hoped, fear rising in her heart.

The Spearow flock had been creating quite some trouble lately. They had been attacking travellers, eventually injuring a person so badly that they were unable to walk. Professor Oak had decided to take some action once he received the news, and he set off on his Dragonite and drove them off. But they'd just come back, so they were ready to cause some more trouble.

"Nah, they won't. The Pokémon Rangers are here, and they'll protect us," Ash reassured. That was true. Professor Oak had called up the Pokémon Ranger Base for help and they had sent a handful of Rangers who were posted for duty at Route One.

"How about we sleep for now?" Leaf nodded at Ash's suggestion once she looked up at the dark sky. They walked towards a quiet place, where there was a neatly cut log, and set up camp there. Ash thanked his mother for packing an inflatable tent in his Hammerspace bag. He turned to Leaf, who removed some ready-to-cook food packets from her own Hammerspace bag and setting up a fire with her lighter and cook the food. The two were really glad that they had been made to learn in the Trainer School till the age of twelve and learn how to survive in the wild in the last two years of learning.

Leaf and Ash waited for the food to be cooked, while the pokémon coolly and happily gobbled down the pokémon food given to them. The young trainers simply couldn't wait to stop at the nearest Pokémon Centre and book separate rooms for the night.

Ash quickly wolfed down his plate of roasted Pidgey meat with rice, and he soon met with disappointment once he saw that his share was over. He tried his trick again, giving off puppy-dog eyes and forcing Leaf to give away with some of her food, and she simply smiled. He had always done this during their sleepovers, and he wasn't going to stop now.

Half an hour went by as they talked about their pokémon and what they were planning to do in Viridian City. Ash offered to watch a Pokémon Contest there, but Leaf denied it and said that they had to use their money carefully. And so the two quickly set up the inflatable tent and went inside it, tucking in their sleeping bags while Venus was cosily resting in her pokeball and Amethyst was resting next to Ash, but in a small blanket.

"Damn," Leaf said. "We forgot to put out the fire." Ash groaned upon hearing this, grumbled as he stepped out of the sleeping bag and angrily stomped on the fire after weakening it with his bottle of water. Then, he went back into his sleeping bag, only to be woken up by Leaf once more.

"Damn," he heard her say again, but this time giggling quietly. "We forgot to pack the stoves and the other things."

Ash groaned once again as he stepped out while Leaf laughed uncontrollably.

* * *

"Good morning."

Ash rubbed his eyes as strands of sunlight hit his face. He groggily got up, unzipped his sleeping bag and stepped out of the tent to see Leaf eating a few berries as she sat on the log. Ash's bag was unzipped and he quickly realised that Amethyst had managed to fish out a packet of pokémon food and gobble it down. Ash groaned before he settled down and ate a few berries like Leaf, and they were on the road again.

"Hey, we need to fill our bottles!" Leaf exclaimed as she saw the empty metal carafes on the ground. She picked them up and handed on to Ash. "Come on and let's find a nearby stream here."

Ash acknowledged this. "Amethyst, let's go!"

"Sableye!" exclaimed Amethyst as she jumped in the air and teleported mid-air once more.

Just as they had taken a few steps, a harsh cry broke the serene silence of the forest. The four travellers looked around to see the source, until Ash saw a nearby bush rustling and a purple bipedal pokémon popped out.

The Rattata bared its fangs as it snarled at the group. It pawed at the ground before lunging at Leaf, who shrieked and instinctively sent out her Bulbasaur.

"Good lord!" Leaf said as Bulbasaur took the brunt of the impact. "Venus, use Vine Whip!"

"Bulba!" And two vines sprouted from underneath Venus' bulb and lashed the surprised Rattata. It shrieked in pain before another lash stung it and made it fall on his side.

The Rattata immediately got back up and quickly sped towards Venus and left a trail of white light behind just before it struck the Bulbasaur on the face. Venus shook her head before she focused on the angry Rattata, who was continuously snarling.

"Venus, finish it off with a Vine Whip!"

Venus once again whipped the wild Rattata with her vines, sending it flying backwards as it growled in pain. "Pokeball, go!" Leaf cried out as she threw a pokeball at the injured Rattata. The pokeball, upon bouncing on the Rattata's body, absorbed the pokémon in a beam of red light and shook a few times before letting out a _ding_ sound. Leaf walked up to the unmoving pokeball and picked it up, unable to believe that she had caught her first pokémon.

"Yeah, I caught a pokémon!" Leaf jumped in the air before she bent down and hugged her Bulbasaur joyously. She then scanned her newly obtained Rattata with her pokedex and then closed it. "The pokedex says that Rattata is a male. I got a new addition to my team _and_ I'm one step closer to completing the pokedex."

"Can we get on with our walking?" Ash asked, annoyed. Leaf nodded as she walked towards Ash and took Venus back in her pokeball.

As they walked, they saw a Pokémon Ranger taking strides with her Nidorino. They smiled at her before they went back to walking along Route One while Amethyst was continuously teleporting at either side of Ash.

* * *

An hour had passed. Ash yawned as his eyelids grew heavy and he turned to see Leaf fiddling with her pokedex. "What're you doing?"

Leaf awoke from her trance and looked at Ash. "Oh, nothing, I'm just reading an analysis on the Bulbasaur specie."

Ash rolled his eyes. Here he was, enjoying the journey of finally being a trainer, and there was Leaf who was reading a boring analysis on Bulbasaur. Ash would rather play the pokémon mini-games on the pokedex.

"Look!" Leaf said and thrusted her finger forward, grabbing Ash's attention. "There's the lake! Now we can fill up our flasks."

Ash jumped an inch up before running to the large lake. A cascading waterfall was filling the lake with water. Ash ran, stopped and then filled his bottle to the brim before noticing a girl fishing a metre away from him.

She was about his age, and had her bright-orange hair tied in a unique ponytail. She wore red suspenders, a yellow tank top, blue denim shorts and red-and-yellow sneakers. She was handling her fishing rod quite skilfully and the bucket next to her was empty.

The girl noticed Ash ogle at her and she turned to look at him. "What're you looking at?"

"Nothing." Ash simply looked away and continued to fill his bottle. A second later he heard an ear-piercing shriek; he turned around to see the girl breathing heavily as she ran to his aid.

"H-Help!" she told him, staring back at the grinning Sableye. "Th-That Sableye's going to kill me!"

Ash grew a serious yet amused expression on his face. "Amethyst, don't go scaring people like that. It's okay for Leaf and me because we know you, but you'll end up creating a big problem if you do that to random people."

He then turned to the girl. "It's okay, she's mine. I'm Ash, by the way," he introduced as he held a hand forward.

The girl relaxed her expression and shook his hand. "Thank goodness. I'm Misty."

"Nice to meet you, Misty!" Ash replied enthusiastically.

"And I'm Leaf!" Leaf exclaimed as she popped up from behind.

"Nice to meet you," Misty replied.

Ash looked at her. "Had any luck?"

She flushed. "Not at all." Misty sighed. "All I'm getting is a couple of Magikarp, but I want a Poliwag. Do you know of any place around here with Poliwag?"

"No, but – Sorry, were you saying that you were searching for Poliwag here?" The girl nodded. "Did you know that there aren't any Poliwag here?"

The girl – Misty, Ash corrected himself – froze. "I-I'm sorry, but what?"

"Yeah," Ash continued. "Well, there was a colony not so long ago, but a few months ago, a Magikarp evolved – no clue how it managed that on its own in a small lake – but it required nourishment, and found the Poliwag and Poliwhirl more acceptable prey than its own kin." Misty paled even further. "The only reason I know about this is because it was rather big news in Pallet when it happened – this used to be a popular fishing spot, where fathers would take their sons for a weekend of catching Magikarp and playing with the Poliwag, back before the Gyarados, but now mothers find it too dangerous for their children, and fathers don't want to run the risk of accidently getting pulled in and eaten by the Gyarados."

"Oh my god," Misty uttered. She looked like she was about to throw up. "But then—"

Their little chat was ended with a loud growl that came from below and slightly shook the ground. The water splashed and created ripples, and the three looked fear stricken.

"What," Misty asked slowly, "was that?"

"GRAAAH!" The water exploded and droplets were splashed everywhere, soaking the three trainers in water and making them gasp as a serpentine pokémon emerged from the waters. It had a blue body with a yellow underbelly and yellow spots along its body. It opened its mouth wide before letting out another ear-deafening growl and it then stared at the three shocked trainers on the ground.

"G-G-Gyarados!" the three trainers yelled out, still standing transfixed in their positions.

The Gyarados dived down and aimed at them, but they thankfully sidestepped while the Gyarados crashed into the ground and heavily dealt recoil damage. It shook its head before aiming a powerful blast of water in all directions, with one heading towards Amethyst but she simply teleported away.

Meanwhile, Ash, Leaf and Misty all hid behind rocks, hiding from the atrocious pokémon's wrath as it let out another growl followed by another blast of water. The water struck the tree Leaf hid behind. The water curved around her and hit the ground, trickling harmlessly as it made the earthy ground wet.

"Shit!" Misty yelled out as she ducked down. "How the hell did we end up like this?!"

"Maybe because you were fishing it got angry!" Ash yelled back. He dived to his left again as another blast of water headed his way. He turned towards Amethyst, who was simply hopping and grinning at the Gyarados. "Amethyst, use Night Shade!"

Somehow over the growls the Sableye heard her trainer's command and let out a black beam that struck the Gyarados on its belly. It stopped its destruction as it simply glared at Amethyst, unable to comprehend why such a puny pokémon had attacked it.

"Amethyst, shoot another Night Shade!"

The Gyarados this time evaded the beam of dark energy, and the beam now headed towards a red bike that was leaning on ground. It collided against the bike and a small explosion occurred, sending metal frames and rubber tyres flying in the sky while Misty shrieked.

"You idiot!" she screamed. "YOU JUST DESTROYED MY BIKE!"

"I was aiming at the Gyarados!" Ash defended.

"GYARAAAADOOOS!" The Gyarados blasted another stream of water that travelled towards Amethyst. Ash's instincts took over and he ran to protect his pokémon. At just the last second, he grabbed the darkness pokémon and jumped away, the blast of water crashing into the ground and sending fragments of mud flying away.

"Good Lord!" Ash exclaimed as he looked at Amethyst. "Amethyst, are you all right?" the Sableye nodded with another goofy grin. He turned back to see the wild Gyarados glaring at him, and it was just about to strike if it hadn't been for a blast of electricity that collided with the Gyarados and electrocuted it.

Ash turned around to see his saviour, and he saw the same Pokémon Ranger he had seen that same day.

"Nidorino," she said, "fire another Thunderbolt!"

"Nido!" The Nidorino's horn sparked with electricity, and he jumped up to stand on his hind legs before he dismissed the raging Gyarados with another powerful bolt of electricity. The Gyarados slumped down in defeat and half of its body sunk down in the water, with only its head unveiled. The atrocious pokémon's head was lying on its side on the bank of the lake, while the Pokémon Ranger simply walked to the fainted pokémon in a calm demeanour.

"Pokeball, go," she said, and she swiftly threw a pokeball that bounced against the Gyarados' scales. The pokémon was absorbed in a flash of light and it shook once before it stood still.

The girl then bent low, picked up the pokeball and pocketed it before she turned to look at the terrified three in front of her. "You guys okay?"

The girl was older than them, possibly Red's age, and she had humongous maroon hair that was stretching to her calves. She had stormy grey eyes, but they radiated calmness, and she wore the standard Pokémon Ranger outfit: an orange cap, jacket and blue shorts. She swung her tranquiliser gun for a few seconds before she quickly put it back in its slot.

"Y-Yea," Ash replied. "W-We're fine. Thanks for helping us, or else we'd be dead meat."

"No problem, kiddo." She walked up to them and placed her hands on her hips. "Are you three poachers?"

Misty raised an eyebrow. "Do we look like poachers?"

She snickered. "'Sppose not, but it's a standard question that we've got to ask, y'know." She paused for a moment, as if waiting for the three kids in front of her to talk. "My name's Ellen. Ellen Martinez."

"I'm Ash," Ash introduced, "and these are Leaf and Misty. And this is my Sableye, Amethyst."

"Sableye!" Amethyst cried out in glee.

"Cool," Ellen muttered, and she looked in the north direction. "Looks like I'll have to take you three where you're heading. We can't have another incident like this, can we?"

"Thank you, Ms Martinez," Ash thanked, but Ellen simply waved it off.

"Aw, no need for all that informality. Call me Ellen." She smirked. "Tell you what, I'm planning on leaving this job and continue on participating in League tournaments."

"Hey, we're trying to get in the Indigo League too!" Ash and Leaf said in unison and in excitement.

As Ash and Leaf started to walk, they were stopped by Misty's words.

"Hold on, mister!"

Ash froze in his tracks and turned around to see Misty standing in a strange pose, pointing her finger at the boy in an accusing manner. She was glaring at Ash and her finger was trembling.

"What?" Ash asked finally, unaware about anything. "What do you want?"

"You still have to pay me ten thousand pokédollars!" Misty replied angrily.

Ash stepped back in shock. "What for do I have to pay you?"

"My bike you destroyed!"

Ash then noticed her bike right next to her, utterly obliterated and coated with dust and charcoal. It was lying in a jagged heap, and the tyres were not present and a few metal frames were missing too.

"Hey, that was an accident!"

"But you destroyed it!"

"I was trying to save everyone's life!" Ash defended.

"I DON'T CARE!" Misty stomped her foot in frustration and angrily pulled at her hair. "I'll follow you to the ends of the earth till you pay me for the bike!"

"That's the lamest excuse ever," Ash said as he slapped himself in frustration.

"Go tell that to the author."

"What?!"

* * *

"Here are your pokémon," Nurse Joy said as she handed Ash his only pokeball. "We hope to see you again!"

"Uh, Nurse Joy?" ash asked, gaining the woman's attention. "Could we book two rooms for the night, please?"

"Certainly, but may I have your identification?" she demanded.

"Uh…"

Nurse Joy noticed the pokedex hanging out from his pocket. "Well then, can I see your pokedex?"

"Sure." Ash fished out the red pokedex from his pocket while Leaf did the same, and Joy pressed a few buttons before she smiled and handed the pokedexes back.

"Here they are. You may not know, but your pokedex serves as your identification," Nurse Joy informed.

Ash gave a goofy grin as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh, yea. I forgot about that. Thanks, again, Nurse Joy!" She simply smiled back and the two trainers headed to their rooms.

Just as Ash was about to enter his room, he felt a sharp tap on his head and her turned to see Misty glaring at him. "You better pay for my bike, Ash. I'm not going to leave you otherwise!" She whipped around rushed into her room arrogantly while Ash shrugged and walked into his.

He threw his backpack in a corner and let out Amethyst. She grinned once more before teleporting on the bed and cosily curling into a ball. Ash sighed as he walked into the bathroom and refreshed himself with a warm bath.

After that, he watched some TV for a while, and he laughed a lot during 'Pokémon Advanced Generation'. A little while later, he switched the TV off and yawned before jumping on the bed to have a good night's sleep.

This was his first day as a trainer…

…His first day on the road…

…And so much had happened in just one day.

He closed his eyes and couldn't wait for the next day to start.

* * *

 **And there it is! Please leave a review to tell me what you think. Chapter three is going to come out a couple of days later (I don't know when), but I'll try to update it by at the most the coming Saturday.**

 **Next is chapter 3 - Viridian Forest**

 **Now, a few notes...**

 **So I finally managed to fit in the destruction of Misty's bike. Misty get's to travel with Ash and Leaf!**

 **Sableye's nickname - I named her Amethyst because Sableye are very fond of gems, and the amethyst gemstone matches a Sableye's skin colour very closely. Finally, 'ame' means 'soul' or 'spirit' in old French. Thank God for French class...!**

 **I was first going to make Misty catch the Gyarados (since her Gyarados is pretty stubborn at first) but then I thought that it wouldn't make sense that they managed to defeat it, since I made it to be pretty powerful.**

 **I think that's it! As always, review and tell me your thoughts! I'll see you guys next chapter (or probably in another story of mine).**


	3. Viridian Forest

**Here is chapter three. I'm really sorry for the late update, but as I told on _Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rings of Distortion,_ I had a lot of work (mainly school-work) to do so I barely had any time. My update schedule will be irregular from now on, but I'll try to update as soon as I can.**

 _ **Note: If you guys have any questions regarding the fic, PLEASE PM me and do not put it in a review. I see it as 'cheating' and I don't like ti one bit. I will answer all your questions, but please put it in a PM.**_

 **Now without further ado, here is chapter four! R &R!**

* * *

"Ash, wake up. Ash, wake up!"

"Ngh…Whassamatter?"

Ash blinked repeatedly as he saw Leaf shaking him, trying to wake him up for the next day. The sun's rays poured into the room through the windows and Ash now couldn't concentrate on sleeping as he constantly heard Amethyst and Leaf nag him.

"Do you, or do you not want to get to Pewter?" Leaf asked, smiling in a sly manner.

That was all that was needed for Ash to get up. He jumped up and unintentionally smacked Leaf on her face with the back of his hand, something for which he constantly apologized even though she dismissed it. It took only five minutes for Ash to have a bath and change into his trainer clothes and he exploded into the corridor with a wide grin on his face.

"Let's go to…" Ash dramatically paused before yelling, "VIRIDIAN FOREST!"

"Turn down that racket!" an angry voice yelled back from one of the rooms, making Ash flinch and the others sweat-drop.

* * *

Ash stretched out his arms once he stepped out of the Pokémon Centre. It was eleven in the morning right now and fairly warm. The three walked slowly towards Viridian forest, the saw two boys banging on the door of the gym in Viridian City, and those boys couldn't be mistaken for Gary and Ritchie.

"Gary, Ritchie!" Ash waved his hands to further gain their attention, but that didn't help. They were still banging the doors of the gym. That was until a hefty and bald person walked up to them from behind the gym and glared angrily at them.

All Ash could see was the brute rudely telling them to get away from them and not pester the gym leader. Gary scoffed before he turned around and arrogantly walked towards Ash with Ritchie just a few steps behind him.

"Hiya, Ash!" Ritchie greeted as he gave the raven-haired boy a hi-five. Gary simply smirked as he saw Ash and walked faster.

"If it isn't dear Ashy-boy," Gary mocked as he stopped in front of his rival. "Finally made it to Viridian, huh? We've been here for a few days, and I would've gotten my Earth Badge if it wasn't for that stupid Leader."

"Why, what happened?" Leaf asked in a sweet voice.

"The darn gym leader isn't there, that's what happened." Gary kicked a pebble on the pavement that struck Misty on her shin, but she didn't notice it and simply rolled her eyes at the conversation. "I'm telling you, I would've beaten him so hard if it hadn't been for him 'missing'. He's obviously gone for a vacation of some sorts, probably with his girlfriend or something." He then turned towards Ritchie. "Ritchie, let's go! Oh, and Ash," Gary said as he turned towards the raven-haired boy, "Try to keep up."

Ash was about to snap back, but Gary's convertible arrived and the two hopped in. The car drove off and left dust in the trio's faces. They coughed madly before the dust finally cleared.

"Oh, let's go," Misty ordered as she forced the new trainers.

* * *

"Well, here we are! Viridian Forest!" Ash announced.

The group was now standing at the entrance to a large forest. Viridian City was a few miles behind them. It was now late in the afternoon, and the group wanted to go ahead and trek through as much of the forest as they could before dark. However, Ash was the only one of the group who seemed to be actually looking forward to navigating the forest.

"Uh, do we really have to go in there?" Misty asked in a worried tone.

"You said it yourself, Misty. Leaf and I need to capture more pokémon to become stronger! I'm certain there are some great bug pokémon in there for us to capture," Ash replied.

"B-B-Bug pokémon?" Misty asked and began trembling.

"Misty, you aren't afraid to go in the forest are you? I mean, we have to go through there to get to Pewter City, anyway," Ash tried to reason.

"It isn't the forest itself. It's the…" Misty trailed.

"Well, if you don't want to go in the forest, that's fine. Leaf, Amethyst and I can just leave you here. Are you guys ready?" Ash asked them.

Amethyst immediately responded with a "Sab-Sableye" and teleported onto Ash's shoulder. Leaf, on the other hand, hesitated for a moment. She wasn't sure she wanted to go through such a thick forest at the moment, but Ash did have a point. There were probably more pokémon in there to catch, and it was the quickest way to Pewter City.

"You're right, Ash! Let's go!" Leaf said as they began walking into the forest.

Misty moaned as she watched them go. "Oh….what do I do? What do I do? Grr...Hey! Wait for me!" she called. She then hurried after them into Viridian Forest.

The forest was dense. And thick. That was all that came to Ash's mind half an hour into the forest. Oh, and there were _very_ weird people inside.

It was surprisingly common for finding trainers that specialized in only one type, say water type trainers near large water bodies. Some could even start up minor and unofficial gyms in minor towns, but Ash simply wanted to focus on the main eight gyms needed to enter the pokémon league.

Most of the trainers the forest specialized in bug or grass type, and he was easily able to defeat them with Amethyst's help. This meant that they were the annoying group of hippies known as the Bug Catchers.

Simply put, Bug Catchers aimed at getting Pokémon to evolve quickly, to have an easy time training them up due to being evolved fully practically from birth, which automatically made them more powerful than normal Pokémon, because they were already fully evolved. At least, that's what the Bug Catchers theorised.

So Bug Catchers were hated by everyone, for trying and failing to choose the easy way out, everyone including Ash, who ran into one every five minutes, and was immediately challenged to a battle by every single one of them, only to be threatened to be stung by their Beedrill when he rejected due to being so exasperated that he just wanted to get on with his journey.

"Amethyst, stop her with Sucker Punch!"

Amethyst devilishly revealed her set of sparking teeth as she jabbed her opponent Beedrill on her abdomen. The Beedrill shrieked in pain and finally slumped down; forcing the tenth Bug Catcher he had faced to pay him an amount of fifty pokédollars.

"Heh…Thanks!" Ash waved to the Bug Catcher as he continued to grumble about his loss. He then turned to his left. "Leaf, how're you doing there?"

"Stop distracting me, Ash! Rattata, use Bite!" Leaf commanded.

Leaf, on the other hand, was not doing pretty well. She didn't have a type advantage on any of her pokémon, and Venus was knocked out a long time ago. She was now struggling to fight with her tired Rattata against the trainer's Metapod, and as soon as the cocooned pokémon was knocked out the Bug Catcher sent out a Kakuna, which made Misty squeal.

Ash was surprised as he saw Misty shriek every time a bug type pokémon was seen by the group. Maybe that was why she was afraid of the forest…hmm…

The Bug Catcher gave Leaf a wad of pokédollars before returning to a sturdy branch on the tree. Ash chuckled once again as he remembered how Leaf's latest opponent had scared her by jumping down the tree like a ninja and issuing a challenge.

"I still haven't caught a pokémon, though," Ash muttered to himself. "I think now would be a good – Hey, a Caterpie!"

"Pie…? Cater…pie?" the tiny bug type whimpered at the sight of the raven-haired boy.

"I'm going to catch you!" Ash fumbled in his backpack as he fished out a pokeball.

"WHAT?!" Misty cried.

Ash shook his head and decided to ignore her. "Pokeball, go!"

The pokeball soared through air and connected with Caterpie which was sucked into the ball. The pokeball landed on the ground and began to shake. Ash and the other watched in anticipation for the catch to be complete.

"Come on," Ash said to himself. The tension was killing him. The ball finally stopped shaking and 'dinged' to signal Caterpie had been captured.

Ash's face immediately broke out into a grin. He couldn't contain his excitement. "Alright, I caught my first pokémon! Yes!" he cheered, pumping his fist into the air.

"Sab, Sableye!" Amethyst said as she held out her fingers in a 'V' shape.

"EEEEEEEEEWWW!" Misty fussed about in her spot. "Why'd you have to catch a bug out of all things?"

"Oh, come on, Misty." Ash then walked towards her with a teasing tone. "You're not afraid of in itsy-bitsy Caterpie, aren't you?"

"Get…it…away…from…ME!" Misty screamed as Ash merely touched the pokeball against the skin, and Ash tilted his head in confusion. Why would a pokeball make here scream?

"That pokeball has bug slime!" Misty reasoned, but Ash simply raised an eyebrow. He then broke out into a grin.

"Hey, you know what? We haven't greeted Caterpie properly yet. Let's introduce ourselves to, uh…him!" Ash concluded as he looked up from his pokedex.

Misty grimaced and looked at Ash in pure shock. "Oh, no…"

"Come out, Caterpie!" Ash called out as his pokeball opened up. Misty immediately screamed and crawled away from the group as the Caterpie materialized on the floor.

Caterpie stared around at its surroundings in wonder before settling its eyes on Ash. Ash knelt down and said, "Hi there, Caterpie. My name is Ash Ketchum. It's nice to meet you. We are going to have many great adventures together."

Caterpie gave the equivalent of a smile and nodded his head.

His eyes then landed on Misty a short distance away. He then then charged forward straight at Misty.

"Aaaahhhhhh!" Misty screamed as Caterpie reached her. He then began to rub against Misty's leg affectionately, which caused her scream more.

"See, Misty? Caterpie is really nice, and it even likes you. You should give him a chance and become friends with him," Ash told her.

"No way! I could never be friends with such a creepy bug!" Misty exclaimed jumping away from Caterpie, saddening him and making his eyes water.

"That isn't going to work. We are all going to be traveling together, and so we should all be friends and get along, even you and Caterpie," Ash said a little sternly.

Misty then looked down and saw Caterpie rubbing against her leg again. She let out another mighty scream and ran a short distance away.

Ash then got an angry look on his face. "I can't believe you, Misty. Caterpie has been nothing but nice to you, and you are treating him like dirt!"

"I can't help it that I don't like bugs, Ash!" Misty shouted.

Caterpie went to his pokeball, pressed the button with his nose, and allowed himself back in the pokeball.

Ash then turned to glare at Misty. "Now look what you've done. I don't know how you expect to keep traveling with us if you are going to insult my pokémon. Let's go, Leaf! We don't need idiots like her in our group," he said as he went to grab Caterpie's pokeball. He then picked it up and began to walk off. His Sableye joined Ash and Leaf before frowning at Misty.

* * *

It was now night-time in Viridian Forest. The group had already eaten a small supper of sandwiches and were now getting ready for bed. Everyone had already stepped away to change into their pyjamas. Caterpie was staring at the moon. It was full and gave off a nice glow to the forest after the campfire was put out.

Ash gave a huge yawn as he got into his sleeping bag. He then turned to Leaf, who was already asleep and snoring softly. He stifled a giggle before he yawned once again and closed his eyes.

Meanwhile, Amethyst had opened her eyes and noticed Caterpie was still awake, looking up at the moon. He had a longing expression on his face, eyes wide and a smile. Wondering what was going on in the pokémon's mind, Amethyst quietly slipped out of her small sleeping bag and stood next to Caterpie, who noticed the darkness pokémon's presence.

" ** _Sup, Caterpie. What'cha doing?_** _"_ Amethyst asked.

Caterpie sighed and turned to face her. _"_ _ **I just can't sleep. I just…**_ _"_

 _"_ _ **What're you thinking about?**_ _"_ the Sableye probed.

Caterpie looked at the ground with a slightly sad expression on his face. _"Well, it's my dream to be a Butterfree one day and soar in the skies. But I'm so weak that I don't think I can do it,"_ Caterpie revealed.

 _"_ _ **Yeah…Flying must be great.**_ _"_ Amethyst grinned at the bug type and chuckled. _"_ _ **But don't worry! I know you'll fly one day. I'm sure of it!**_ _"_

 _"_ _ **I don't know…I don't know any useful moves except for Tackle. How am I going to evolve into a Butterfree like that?**_ _"_

Amethyst gave Caterpie a reassuring pat on the back. _"_ _ **Don't worry, Caterpie. Ash is a great trainer. He'll help you achieve your dream! Just don't give up!**_ _"_

 _"_ _ **Thanks. I feel somewhat better now. Good night.**_ _"_ Caterpie turned and crawled away from the Sableye and curled up into a ball, sleeping soundly next to Ash.

The Sableye yawned a moment later. _"_ _ **I guess I'll call it a day. I need my beauty sleep.**_ _"_

* * *

"Ngh…What's that sound?"

The group woke up the next day to the sound of loud chirruping, and Ash groggily opened his eyes to notice an avian pokémon not too far away from pecking at the ground, looking for food.

"Oooh, a Pidgeotto!" Ash exclaimed in delight, now fully awake. The sight of seeing a pokémon surely excited him. He reached for his pokedex and began to scan the Pidgeotto.

 **"Pidgeotto, the bird pokémon, is a normal and flying type pokémon,"** the pokedex described. **"Pidgeotto claims a large area as its own territory. This pokémon flies around, patrolling its living space. If its territory is violated, it shows no mercy in thoroughly punishing the foe with its sharp claws."**

"…I think I'm going to catch this pokémon!" Ash said, withdrawing a pokeball. He knew that the Pidgeotto wasn't going to go down without a fight, so he didn't throw his pokeball immediately.

"Ugh…Ash, what the heck…?" Leaf mumbled as she looked through her half-open eyes. She stood up and lazily gave a stretch while Misty continued to sleep.

Ash turned towards Leaf, who was looking at him with a questioning look. "I'm going to catch this Pidgeotto! Amethyst, you're up!" His Sableye cried out in joy and teleported in front of him.

"Amethyst, use Night Shade!" Ash exclaimed, Amethyst shooting two black beams from her eyes that struck the Pidgeotto. The avian pokémon simply looked up and turned towards Amethyst and Ash, giving them a powerful glare before spreading her wings wide.

"Ash…If you're planning on catching a pokémon, at least use correct moves," Leaf said, chuckling. "Ghost type attacks don't affect normal type pokémon."

Ash stomped his foot in frustration. "Damn it!"

The Pidgeotto flapped her wings and rose a few feet above the air, giving the trainer and his pokémon an intimidating look. A chill went down Ash's spine as the bird pokémon slowly made her way towards him.

"Shit!" he cursed. He opened his pokedex and scanned Amethyst, searching for some of her moves that weren't ghost type attacks. _Night Shade, Teleport, Leer, Astonish…Sucker Punch and Leer! Alright!_ "Amethyst, use Sucker Punch!"

The Pidgeotto flew towards Amethyst, wings slightly glowing in an attempt to smack the Sableye. Amethyst, however, quickly appeared in front of Pidgeotto, startled her and head-butted her in her torso.

In return, Pidgeotto smacked her wings against Amethyst's face, sending her crashing into the ground.

"Amethyst, are you okay?!" Ash asked in a concerned voice.

"Sableye!" she cried and jumped back to her feet, indicating that she had a lot of strength left in her.

"Cool! Try a Fury Swipes!" Ash commanded.

Pidgeotto swooped down and readied another Wing Attack while Amethyst's claws grew longer. The two pokémon lashed on each other, each being thrown back by the attack.

"Damn…Pidgeotto's too quick." Ash looked at the ground while Amethyst started to teleport and evade each of the avian pokémon's Wing Attack. In an instant, an idea popped inside Ash's head. "Amethyst, stay where you are and wait for Pidgeotto to come back down!"

Amethyst nodded her head and stood her ground. Pidgeotto circled the air for a moment and then swooped down, straight towards the Sableye.

"Wait for a little longer!" Ash ordered.

Amethyst nodded. She trusted her trainer's judgement. Pidgeotto continued to get closer and closer, the two pokémon staring intensely at each other.

"Amethyst, teleport onto Pidgeotto's back!" Ash called out at the last second.

Amethyst nodded and instantly vanished, Pidgeotto's wings hitting nothing but air. She looked around in confusion while Amethyst was on her back, teleported onto her in a split-second.

"Now, Amethyst – use Fury Swipes!"

Amethyst grinned and unleashed her attack, slashing Pidgeotto's back wildly while she (Pidgeotto) squirmed and cried out in agony. Pidgeotto cried out once more and lost her balance, finally diving for the ground and crashing into it.

"Go, pokeball!" Ash threw the red-and-white sphere, the ball travelling towards the Pidgeotto and hitting her and sucking her inside it. A red light flashed for a second before the pokeball shook in its spot, finally stopping after a _ding_ sound was heard.

Ash ran over to his Sableye and hugged her lovingly, later smiling at her. "You were awesome, Amethyst!" he praised. He let her go and picked up the pokeball, showing it off as he exclaimed: "We caught a Pidgeotto!"

"You did great, Ash! I'm so proud of you!" Leaf remarked joyously.

Ash smiled at her. He then noticed Misty roll on the ground and land her face in a puddle of mud.

"Ugh…" she groaned sleepily. "What…?"

* * *

"I hate this place! There are so many bugs!"

Ash slapped his face in frustration. Surely Misty had to ruin every good moment. The trio were in good spirits, mainly Ash, just because he had a new addition to his team and for the fact that his Caterpie had evolved into a Metapod right in his pokeball, which was strange. Nevertheless, Ash was happy that Caterpie had evolved and so was the pokémon himself.

"Hey look, everyone!" Ash suddenly said excitedly. "It's a Weedle!"

The other two looked closer until they finally saw a light-brown caterpillar-like pokémon appear from behind the grass, squirming with her pink suction-cup feet. Weedle looked harmless if it wasn't for the fact for their poisonous and extremely sharp stingers on their foreheads.

"Oh no, not more bugs," Misty grumbled.

"Leaf, why don't you capture that pokémon? You haven't caught a pokémon in this forest yet," Ash told Leaf.

Leaf grinned. "Oh yes I will." She took out her pokeball and sent out her Rattata, who scratched his left ear before baring his fangs, trying to intimidate the Weedle.

"Rattata, use…huh?" Leaf blinked in confusion. "Where did that damn Weedle go?"

Misty heaved a sigh before she narrowed her eyes when she felt something rubbing against her leg. What was it? In curiosity, she looked down and saw none other than the same Weedle looking intently at her. "AAAAAH!" she shrieked, drawing everyone's attention.

"What…Oh, there's the Weedle!" Leaf exclaimed. "Rattata, use Quick Attack!"

Rattata's body glowed momentarily before he rushed towards Weedle and slammed into her, leaving a trail of white as he ran. The Weedle retaliated by stabbing Rattata with her stinger, making him cry out in pain as the poison took effect.

"Rattata!" Leaf yelled, concerned for her pokémon's state. "Rattata, can you keep up?" Rattata replied by slamming into Weedle again, this time lighter than before.

"Okay then! Bite that worm!" Leaf ordered.

Rattata's fangs grew a tad bit longer as his fangs clashed against the brown skin, breaking it as small drops of blood oozed out.

"Yes!" Leaf unclipped an empty pokeball and hurled it towards Weedle, absorbing her inside the sphere before it shook once, twice, thrice…and it then stopped.

Leaf screamed internally as she went forward and picked up the pokeball, grinning from ear-to-ear, but her heart skipped a beat when she stood up – a blade was an inch away from her face, and she let out a horrible screech.

"W-Who are y-you?" Leaf asked fearfully as she looked at the sharp blade in front of her. She looked at the person in front of her – a boy of their age dressed up in the costume of a samurai.

"I am—Oomph!" The boy never got to finish his sentence since Ash tackled him to the ground, choking him.

"Don't you ever think about hurting Leaf!" Ash yelled at the boy, whose face now turned purple.

"Relax, I come in peace!" the boy yelled back, trying to get Ash off him. "This is just an act! Nothing more!"

As glared at the boy one last time before letting him go and helping him up. "Alright then, who are you?"

The boy unsheathed his sword and thrusted it in the air. "I doth be the Samurai! I beseech thee with the request of a battle, required that you be a Pallet Trainer!"

"Pallet trainer…? Oh, yeah, we're from Pallet Town." Ash, Leaf and Misty controlled themselves from laughing at the boy's ridiculous way of talking. "…And sure. We're up for a battle!"

"Very well then!" the Samurai exclaimed, sheathing his sword. "So which of you will battle me first?"

Leaf stepped forward and took out her Bulbasaur's pokeball. "I will."

"Then let us begin!" The boy took out a pokeball of his own and released it in the air, sending out a Metapod. The green, cocooned pokémon cried out in a monotonous voice and stood (?) in her spot, unmoving.

"Venus, I choose you!" Leaf threw her pokeball in the air which sent out her Bulbasaur, who pawed at the ground.

"Metapod, use Harden!" Samurai called out extravagantly, pointing dramatically towards Leaf. His Metapod glowed for a second, definitely looking harder than before.

"Venus, use Vine Whip!" Venus launched out two thick, green vines at Metapod, who was lashed quite quickly but it seemed like she didn't feel a thing.

"Metapod, extra hardness!" the Samurai exclaimed, and Metapod glowed again, hardening her shell.

"Venus, use Poison Powder!"

The Bulbasaur blew a purplish powder from her bulb that rained down on Metapod, poisoning her and weakening her shell in the process.

"Damn it!" The Samurai gave up his horrible imitation of a samurai due to his worry over Metapod. "Metapod, use Harden!"

Leaf smirked. "Venus, grab Metapod with Vine Whip and then slam her on the ground!"

Samurai grimaced as he saw the Bulbasaur wrap her vines around Metapod's body, then slamming her down hard. He quickly fished out a pokeball and recalled his fainted Metapod back into her pokeball.

"Seems like I win." Samurai nodded and held out a wad of cash, signifying his loss against Leaf.

Samurai turned and looked at Ash. "Are you going to battle me or what?"

Ash gritted his teeth as he stepped forward. "I accept!"

"Can we please get out of this forest quickly?" Misty moaned as she fussed in frustration.

"Wait, Misty." Ash then turned towards Samurai and glared at him. "I'm ready for any pokémon you send forth!"

"Very well then – face this!" Samurai hurled the pokeball in the air, which opened up and released a beam of white light. A Pinsir materialised on the ground, clicking his pincers as he growled.

Ash winced as he took a look at the pokémon – this Pinsir looked tough. Scratch marks were present on his body and pincers, telling of his participation in many battles. He was also bigger than other of his species, reaching a height of 1.8 metres.

Ash sweat-dropped and moved his hand around his pokéballs. _I definitely can't use Metapod, he'll die if I do…I can send out Amethyst, but I think the best pokémon would be…_ He took out a pokeball and tossed it in the air, saying, "Pidgeotto, I choose you!" The bird pokémon soared circled the air and then stopped, looking down at her opponent.

"Try this!" Samurai exclaimed with a grin. "Pinsir, use Vice Grip!"

"Saair!" Pinsir cried out as he rushed forward, jumped and then caught the surprised Pidgeotto in between his pincers. Ash gasped as Pinsir squeezed Pidgeotto even harder, thorns on each pincer hurting the flying type even further.

"Oh, no, Pidgeotto's gonna get crushed!" Leaf exclaimed.

"Pidgeotto, try to get outta there!" Ash cried out, alarmed.

Samurai smirked, dramatically pulling out his sword. "Finish it off with Seismic Toss!"

"Pinsir!" Pinsir cried out once again. He leapt into the air, staying midway for a few moments as he performed front-flips continuously with Pidgeotto still clutched between his pincers. The bug type then swooped down and released Pidgeotto, throwing her down in an attempt to slam her on the ground.

Ash panicked. "Pidgeotto, try to use Gust and Whirlwind to stop your fall!"

Pidgeotto nodded and then flapped her wings, creating powerful gusts of wind that pushed her upwards and prevented her fall. She chirruped loudly before soaring up again, an angry look on her face. "What?" Samurai yelled.

Ash snapped her fingers and grinned. "That's amazing, Pidgeotto! Now use Agility and then Wing Attack!"

Samurai cursed as Pidgeotto raised her speed by disappearing from time to time, taunting Pinsir as she frequently appeared right in front of him. She then stopped a few metres behind the bug type and smacked him with her wings, delivering a powerful and super effective attack.

"Try my ace, then – Hyper Beam!" Samurai called out.

 _Looks like this kid has beefed up his pokémon with TMs,_ Ash thought in annoyance. Pinsir opened his mouth and released a thick, orange beam that headed straight up for his opponent. Without any orders, Pidgeotto swerved to her right and evaded the attack, but the beam instead hit a tree and uprooted it.

Soon, a buzzing sound filled the forest, gradually increasing in loudness by the second. Misty looked frightened to death, and her eyes roamed around. "W-What's that?"

Ash looked up, clearly worried. He whistled and Pidgeotto swooped down to him, landing right beside him as he walked closer. He narrowed his eyes and saw figures emerging from behind trees, and his eyes widened in fear once he recognized the pokémon.

"B-Beedrill!" he yelled out, warning the others.

Leaf gasped. "Oh, crap!"

The swarm contained around twenty of them and each of their stingers was nastily sharp. Their eyes were without emotion and looked demeaning, striking fear in their hearts.

"Guys, run!" Samurai yelled out, making everyone turn and run in his direction. "I've got a cabin and you can rest safely till the swarm goes!"

"Whatever, man!" Ash replied, running away from the swarm as the Beedrill swarm continued their relentless pursuit. Ash turned towards his Pidgeotto and commanded, "Pidgeotto, use Whirlwind to drive them away, but don't get too close!" His Pidgeotto nodded and took to the air, flapping her wings with all her strength in an attempt to get rid of the swarm.

The group continued running, making their way to Samurai's cabin. "Why is this swarm of Beedrill chasing us?!" Serena asked out loud.

"My Pinsir might've hit their tree! That's why they're chasing us!" Samurai answered.

Misty groaned. "Oooh, I don't care! I just want to get out of this damn forest!" Just then, Misty tripped over her leg and fell on the ground, grazing her knee. She recoiled as blood oozed out from her wound and Ash stopped in his tracks.

"Misty!" Ash exclaimed, tone full of concern.

Misty turned her head up to see Pidgeotto flying back to the group, the several Beedrill following her. She shuddered when she saw a bolder Beedrill fly towards her and point his stinger at her, ready to aim.

"No!" Ash yelled out.

"Fuck!" Misty yelled out. She curled up and waited for her body to be pierced by the sharp stinger, but the blow never came. "Huh…?"

Misty then turned up and saw Ash's Metapod standing between her and the Beedrill, taking the blow with his hard shell. The pokémon had somehow burst out of his pokeball and crawled towards Misty with the intention of protecting him. A crack appeared on the Beedrill's stinger and he cried out in pain.

"Meta…Metapod…?" Misty muttered in awe and recognition.

"Meta…POD!" Metapod cried out, hardening his shell even further.

The Beedrill's expression grew furious and then slammed his other stinger against Metapod's body, cracking the cocoon while Ash cried out in pain. If the Beedrill broke the shell, Metapod surely would die.

But his fears were driven away when the shell broke open and a bright glow took place, and the inside of the cocoon soon took to the air. The bug type was now a butterfly with a purple body, with two segments and four light-blue legs. The upper two legs resembled hands while the lower two were longer. Two black antennae were placed above his head, and on his face was a light blue snout with two fangs underneath and large, red compound eyes. His veined wings were white with black accents, and they fluttered rapidly as he cried out cheerfully. Ash's Metapod had now evolved into a Butterfree!

"Free! Freeeeee!" Butterfree cried out in happiness.

"Wow, a Butterfree!" Ash exclaimed in awe. "Congratulations, Butterfree!" The bug type had finally achieved his dream of being a Butterfree!

However, the happy moment was short-lived as the Beedrill had now regained his senses and thrusted a stinger. Butterfree retaliated by releasing a weak telekinetic force as his eyes glowed purple, striking the Beedrill and hurling him back.

"Th-That's Confusion!" Leaf exclaimed, stopping only to witness the scene.

The Beedrill swarm noticed their comrade in danger, stopped pursuing Pidgeotto and dived down towards the group with the intention of hurting, hurting and hurting.

"Let's finish this!" Ash exclaimed, sending out his Porygon and Sableye. "Pidgeotto, use Gust! Butterfree, fly around and use Sleep Powder on the Beedrill! Amethyst, use Night Shade and Lateralus, use Psybeam!"

The volley of attacks continued as Butterfree rose in the air, flapped his wings and sprinkled orange spores from his wings – Pidgeotto pushed the Beedrill away with her powerful gust, Lateralus fired multiple beams of energy at many Beedrill and Amethyst knocked out her enemies with powerful black beams from her eyes. Butterfree continued to sprinkle the sleeping powder, and the Beedrill began to fall down one by one until all of them were asleep.

"Way to go, Butterfree!" Ash exclaimed as he ran towards his pokémon to give him a hug, but someone beat him to it.

"Butterfree, you were amazing!" Misty exclaimed as she continued to lovingly embrace Butterfree. "If it wasn't for you, I would've been dead meat." She looked at the ground. "…I guess I shouldn't have called you those things. I'm sorry, Butterfree."

"Free, Butterfree!" Butterfree forgave, nipping at Misty's ears while she giggled.

"Hey Amethyst, Lateralus, Pidgeotto – come and meet Butterfree!" Ash called.

Amethyst came over and nodded at Butterfree in awe. She was really happy that her friend had finally achieved his dream. Pidgeotto and Lateralus also came forward and nodded in approval.

Butterfree himself was very happy that he had finally achieved his dream. "Free, Butterfree!" he cried happily again.

* * *

"…And here is the exit, my friends. You should reach Pewter City in only a few days' time," Samurai told them.

"Thank you for your help," Leaf said appreciatively.

"You're very welcome," Samurai replied briskly. "I'm going to stay here and continue to train hard. Hopefully one day, I will be able to win against you!"

"Don't worry; I won't go easy on you!" Ash replied jokingly.

"Um, excuse me, but do you live here alone?" Misty asked.

Samurai grinned. "Yes. My parents live in Cinnabar Island, but I'm staying here so that I can get stronger and hopefully continue winning my gym challenges." Samurai then shook hands with everyone.

"Goodbye, Samurai!" Leaf said as she and the rest of the group waved goodbye.

"Goodbye and good luck on the rest of your journey!" Samurai replied as he waved goodbye as well.

* * *

 **Now I know I made a mistake with Venus' origin, I accidentally wrote it as Greek. I changed it so now STOP NITPICKING.**

 **Ahem. Anyway, with the rest of the A/N.**

 **This should probably be the last of the worst pokemon battles in this fic. I have planned for something in Pewter City, and I hope you guys like it! There will also be surprises in the Pewter City arc, so stay tuned as Ash's adventure is going to be heated up! And once again, thank you all for the support. The next chapter will hopefully be uploaded by Sunday. Stay put!**

 **Answering the questions:**

 _ **Will Ash and Leaf be a item?**_

Maybe.

 ** _Will Ash get an eevee?_**

No. I have already decided who is going to get an eevee from the group.

 ** _Can Ash and Leaf raise a togepi together?_**

...I'm not telling.

 ** _Will Ash and Leaf kiss?_**

Maybe! *Wink**Wink*

 ** _Can you have Ash catch a growlithe_**

Probably. But I don't understand what it is with Ash having a growlithe. I mean, what's so special? But that doesn't mean that I'll ignore this possibility. If I want it to happen it most certainly will.

 **As always, review and tell me what you thought about this one. See you next chapter!**


	4. Thieves and Fossils

**Whoo! I decided to write the next chapter immediately. R &R!**

* * *

The next few of days were busy for the group, with Ash training and Leaf catching more pokémon to complete the pokedex, while Misty simply lay in the sun and occasionally gave the raven-haired boy tips. Ash had trained Amethyst by making her attack fast moving targets, mainly Pidgeotto. Ash had later known that Pidgeotto had learnt Air Cutter when she was battling against Butterfree, bust she still had problems executing it. Ash decided to help his pokémon until the avian creature finally landed a perfect hit that crumbled a rock to pieces. Butterfree had learnt Psybeam and Stun Spore, something that would prove to be helpful in his first gym battle.

Leaf too had been training with her pokémon and she became very happy when her Rattata evolved into a Raticate. Venus had learnt Razor Leaf and Seed Bomb, something that would help her in later matches.

"Look!" Misty exclaimed as she saw lights in the distance, illuminating the area and driving away the darkness. "Oh, Pewter City is right ahead! I can't wait to sleep in a nice, warm bed…"

"And I can't wait to eat some awesome food at the Pokémon Centre!" Ash grinned as he tightened his grip on his bag.

"Me too," Leaf said dreamily, smacking her lips.

"Oh Arceus, can you two think about anything other than food?" Misty asked as she rolled her eyes.

"Hey!" Ash snapped. "I get bored eating the same thing over and over again, okay?"

"Fine…Can we rest on those rocks? My feet are dying." Misty looked up and groaned, stomping her feet in frustration.

"What rocks?" Ash turned and saw a pile of large and fairly smooth rocks, and it wasn't like they belonged to anyone so a quick stop there wouldn't hurt. "Oh, alright," he said as he sat down one, an euphoric feeling flowing over his tired legs as he lifted them above the ground.

"Aaaah…" Ash moaned as he closed his eyes while the rest did the same. Amethyst jumped onto Ash's lap and lazed around.

"So, Ash, are you ready for your first ever gym battle?" Leaf asked sweetly.

"Of course I'm ready!" Ash replied energetically as he made a fist. "My pokémon and I are going to beat them to a pulp!"

Misty rolled her eyes. "Do you even know who the gym leader is?"

Ash loosened his shoulders and looked down. "…I guess not."

Misty smiled and looked at him with a hint of arrogance. "Well, the gym leader is a guy named Brock and he uses rock type pokémon," Misty informed. "I heard he is a very qualified trainer."

"So what does that have to do with the battle?" Ash asked.

"Most of your pokémon have a type disadvantage over Brock's pokémon," Misty explained. "Butterfree might be able to do something with his Sleep Powder and Confusion, and so can Amethyst, but Butterfree still is at a disadvantage. Same goes for Pidgeotto, save for the fact that she has nothing that can match against Brock's pokémon."

Ash sighed. He then looked at Misty with a determined expression. "But this time I've trained my pokémon hard. I know that they'll succeed!"

"Ash, if you really ask me nicely, I might even let you borrow a few of my water pokémon for your battle," Misty said in a sugar-coated voice.

"Nope," Ash immediately said, rejecting the redhead's offer, and when he saw Misty with an angry expression he added, "I appreciate your offer, but I want to win this battle with my own merit. If I use your pokémon then that means that I'm undermining my pokémon's strength."

Misty sighed. "Well, you're right…"

"Ho, ho, ho!" a new voice guffawed, startling the group. "You want to challenge the gym leader of this city, eh?"

The group looked around until they saw a man sitting atop a small plateau, legs folded. Was he there the whole time? How could they have not noticed him? And he had such a low voice, too.

"Yeah, that's right," Ash replied in a suspicious tone.

The man simply laughed. "You'll have no chance in defeating him, boy! Go home."

"How do you know?" Ash questioned, an angry expression dawning on his face.

"Just trust me. My name is Flint, by the way, and I run a rock-selling service," the man introduced.

Leaf blinked. "A rock-selling service?" she asked in confusion.

"A man has to do something for a living. And Pewter city has some of the best rocks in the world!" he announced jubilantly.

Ash sweat-dropped and fought the urge to laugh. "Anyway, I'm gonna beat Brock no matter what! I came here to get the Boulder Badge and I'm going to get it!"

Flint snorted. "If you really believe you might beat him, I suppose I could show you the way," he said.

"Okay, thanks," Ash said as Amethyst teleported off his lap.

"By the way, that'll be two pokédollars each for sitting on my rocks, pokémon included," Flint said.

Ash's lips twitched, even though he fought the urge to do so. If Flint had to resort to selling rocks, he clearly needed the money. The group decided to play along and they handed over the money.

Flint greedily snatched the paper out of their hands and pocketed it. He then spoke up again. "I'm still selling; you want one?"

"No thanks," Misty and Leaf denied in unison.

Ash reined back a laugh and decided to have some fun. He smirked at the man. "Sure, I'll take that one." He pointed at a large, brown rock, unlike the other gray ones. This rock was the size of his bag and had a duller luster than the rest. Ash would have no trouble lugging the hunk of earth around since Silph Co.'s Hammerspace bag provided for items to shrink once put in a bag.

"Twenty pokédollars." Ash wondered how his mother and brother might feel about him spending twenty pokédollars on a rock, but still retained a smirk. Nevertheless, he handed out a wad of cash before Flint helped him haul the rock in his bag. His bag did not feel heavier and they continued their journey.

* * *

"Here it is," Flint stated as he pointed to the structure in front of them.

"The group stared at the building in awe – it was about two stories high and had a purple roof, with slabs of rock at the entrance to signify its rock type theme. Ash grinned at the thought of finally receiving his Boulder Badge, but as he walked closer to the door he saw a 'closed' sign. He tilted his head in confusion at this, since most gyms normally didn't close until nine o'clock, and it was only seven o'clock right now.

"Hey, why is the gym closed?" Misty asked.

"Brock has to close his gym early every day so he can care for his younger siblings. He has nine of them," Flint explained.

"Well then what about his parents?" Leaf inquired.

Flint sighed and looked at the ground. "His good-for-nothing father suddenly decided to leave on a pokémon journey and left his family behind. His mother tried her best to keep things together, but she soon left as well. Now Brock is the only one to take care of everyone," Flint sadly illuminated.

"But that isn't fair to Brock, not at all!" Misty yelled with anger in her tone.

"Brock doesn't care. He never complains about it, but deep down you can tell that he's really hurting about his parents."

"How do you know about all this?" Ash asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"Um, I…uh…I heard stories!" Flint sheepishly said. The group, however, didn't fully believe him due to his tone. He turned to his watch. "Well, I have to go. I have a business to take care off! Goodbye and good luck for your gym match!"

The group waved goodbye as Flint walked over to his spot. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all, even though he was weird.

"Should we head to the Pokémon Centre?" Misty asked. "It's getting late now, and I suppose we could get up tomorrow and have the gym battle first thing in the morning."

Ash yawned. It had been a long day and there was nothing more to do since the gym was closed. "Yeah, let's go. I can't wait to eat some food!" Misty simply rolled her eyes as the trio walked towards the Pokémon Centre.

The group entered the Pokémon Centre and took in its surroundings. It was no different than the one in Viridian City, except for a few minor changes. They spotted the nurse going through some paperwork at the front desk, and they walked up to her to rent a room for the night.

"Hello, ma'am," Ash said, gaining the nurse's attention, "we would like to book a room for the night."

"Definitely," the nurse replied as she looked up.

The trio gasped. "Nurse Joy…?! What're you doing here?!" Leaf exclaimed.

Nurse Joy gave her a questioning look. "I'm sorry, what do you mean?"

"Don't you remember us?" Ash asked. "We met in Viridian City. How did you get here so quickly?"

Realization dawned on her. "Oh, you mean my first cousin?"

"So you're her first cousin?" Misty asked. "You look exactly like her."

Nurse Joy laughed. "Yes, we get that a lot. The fact is that all the nurses in the Pokémon Centre look the same, and all of our surnames are 'Joy'."

"No way," Ash murmured in disbelief.

"Anyway, how many rooms would you like?" Nurse Joy asked.

"We would like two – one for me and the other for Leaf and Misty."

"Okay, let me just register you," Nurse Joy replied as she looked at the computer. A few moments passed by; Nurse Joy then took out two keys and said, "You three are registered, and here are your room keys. Take care!"

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Leaf said before making their way to their respective rooms.

* * *

"Closed?!" Ash yelled, angry. "Whaddya mean by 'closed'?!"

"Look kid," a bulky man replied, "Brock's gym does not open by eleven, so get lost."

Ash looked like he was about to explode, but he contained his anger and simply walked away, stomping.

"I can't believe it!" Ash cried out. "What am I supposed to do for another three hours?!"

"Well," Leaf started, "we could check out the Pewter Museum till the time the gym opens up. I've heard that there are fossil pokémon who've been brought back to life!"

That certainly caught Ash's interest. "Whaaa…? But that's impossible!"

"They surely did it," Leaf said slyly.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ash exclaimed. "Let's go!"

Ash turned to walk away, but he soon stopped once a swarm of people ran across his path, apparently chasing something.

"Hey!" a male voice shouted. "It went this way!"

"Huh…?" Ash tilted his head in confusion. "What was that all about?"

"Look here," Misty replied, bending down to pick up what seemed to be a poster. "…I think this is what they're chasing!"

Ash and Leaf walked closer towards Misty, taking a hard look at the poster. There was a Pikachu's picture on it and the word 'WANTED' was stamped over the Pikachu in red. Down below was written: _Wanted for thievery of products from the Pewter City Market_.

Ash grinned. "I think I'm gonna catch that pokémon!" he exclaimed excitedly. "It's not every day that you see a Pikachu, let alone in a city." Ash looked above at the sky and grinned even further. "Furthermore, if I catch that rodent then I'll be a hero." He dramatically pointed towards the crowd of people. "Let's go!"

Misty and Leaf sighed, with the latter rolling her eyes. Did Ash have to really catch each pokémon he encountered?

* * *

"We've got you now, pest!" a man proclaimed in a deep voice.

"That's the last damn time you'll eat my produce," another said as he flexed his muscles.

The crowd of people had angry and grinning expressions on their faces as they cornered an electric mouse pokémon in a dead-end, who looked up at his enemies. The Pikachu whimpered before smirking devilishly, finally jumping in the air and smacking his tail on the ground, projecting him upwards even further.

"Hey!" the people shouted, alarmed that the rodent would get away.

"Get it!" a woman roared, the crowd taking a step forward to capture the Pikachu.

The Pikachu stayed in mid-air for a second, narrowing his eyes at the people as he cried out, "Pika…CHUUU!"

"AAAAAH!" the people exclaimed in pain as they got electrocuted by the Pikachu, falling down one by one while the Pikachu scurried away.

"Gruuu…" they groaned, getting up slowly and once more chasing the Pikachu.

"You're not getting away, pest!" the roared in anger.

"It's getting away again!" a woman exclaimed, panicked.

The Pikachu smirked. Did these people really think that they were going to catch him? They must've been out of their minds! He was never going to get caught. Never!

Right then he crashed into a pole, getting him out of his thoughts. Pikachu looked up to see a raven-haired boy towering above him, a smirk on his face and a pokeball in his hand.

"Amethyst, go!" Ash exclaimed, tossing the pokeball in the air and sending out his Sableye.

"Pi…?" The Pikachu tilted his head in confusion, taking a good, hard look at the Sableye in front of him. The crowd of people had now surrounded Ash and the wild pokémon, looking intently and waiting for the outcome.

"Whoa, a pokémon trainer," one said in awe.

"I hope he teaches that thief a lesson," another hoped.

"Go get him, Ash!" Leaf cheered excitedly.

Pikachu smirked. So this puny human being was going to take him on? The rodent finally decided to play along and jumped in the air, releasing a powerful and charged blast of electricity that headed towards Amethyst.

Ash grinned. "Amethyst, use Teleport and then go for Sucker Punch!"

The Pikachu's eyes widened in confusion as Amethyst vanished out of sight, causing the bolt of electricity to strike the ground and then disappear. The people cheered Ash loudly, maddening the wild pokémon even further.

"Sab, Sableye!" Amethyst exclaimed as she appeared right behind her opponent, jabbing his back and making him groan in pain.

"That's awesome, Amethyst!" Ash praised. "Now use Fury Swipes!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried out in pain as Amethyst continuously scratched his boy, making him reel in pain. Amethyst then went for her own attack and shot two black beams outlined in red from her eyes, striking her opponent and sending him crashing into the ground, covered in dust.

"Yes!" Ash hissed. He unclipped an empty pokeball and hurled it towards the fallen Pikachu, saying, "Go, pokeball!" The pokeball bounced against the Pikachu and absorbed him in with a flash of red light, shaking for a few seconds before it dinged and indicated Ash's newest capture.

Ash grinned and hugged Amethyst, people cheering him from behind. "I caught a…" he dramatically paused and finally yelled, "…a Pikachu!"

"Congratulations, Ash!" Leaf praised. "You just caught a new pokémon!"

Ash rubbed the back of his head and smiled while Misty patted him on his back.

"Whoo!" the people cheered, running towards him, lifting him up and treating him like a hero.

"Young man, you saved us!" a person said.

"That pest was ruining our businesses! He kept stealing our produce," a woman explained.

They soon let Ash down. More people thanked him and shook hands with him, praising him for his effort. They soon left and went on with their daily work while Ash walked off to Leaf and Misty.

"That. Was. Amazing!" exclaimed Leaf as she squealed in delight.

Ash grinned. "I know, right? I helped a few people out _and_ I caught another – whoa!" Ash stopped abruptly as a pokeball on his belt started to shake madly, and Ash unclipped the pokeball to see it as his recently-caught Pikachu's. Sensing something was wrong, he sent out his pokémon who, upon coming out, glared at him angrily as if Ash had done something to him.

"Hey, cool it," Ash sternly replied, making his Pikachu angrier. Pikachu glared at him even further, making Ash and his companions nervous about what was going to happen. "What's with you?" Ash questioned, confused.

"Pika…Pikachu!" Pikachu angrily cried out as his cheeks crackled with electricity.

"Whoa!" Ash took a step back and his eyes widened, surprised at the action.

"Maybe Pikachu doesn't seem to like you," Misty nervously suggested. Ash turned to her and asked for an explanation, to which she said, "Well, you guys did meet on a very rough note. You could make things up, you know."

Ash sighed. He didn't ever think of coming across a stubborn pokémon in his journey. "I guess you're right." He then bent low and looked at Pikachu with a smile and warmth in his eyes. "Hey, Pikachu, I know that we started off on the wring note so let's try again, okay?" He continued even though he got no response from Pikachu. "Hi, I'm Ash!" He then went on to touch Pikachu, but the electric mouse simply let loose a weak jolt of electricity that travelled halfway through his outstretched arm. He grimaced and gritted his teeth in pain as he felt a burning, tingling punch on his arm. He withdrew his arm – there didn't seem to be any visible burns, but he felt tense and sore in his arm, like it was almost paralyzed.

"Whoa, shit!" Leaf exclaimed, running towards Ash and holding his arm. Misty bent and held him up, looking fearfully at Pikachu. "Ash, are you okay?!"

"Yeah…I'm fine," Ash said softly. "Although I need a Parlyz Heal…" He turned towards Pikachu and managed a smile, still wincing from the slight pain. "You're a stubborn one, aren't you?" Now Pikachu looked confused. He had just attacked this human being, however weak his attack might have been, but he still was okay about it? Maybe this human wasn't as bad as he originally thought he was. He could give him a break. Pikachu sighed and then eased his expression.

"How about we try to be friends?" Ash asked, but Pikachu simply looked away. Ash grinned sheepishly. "Geez, you may look cute, but…" Pikachu couldn't take his talks anymore! He scurried away and tapped his pokeball with his nose, allowing himself to be absorbed inside the sphere.

"Well, it looks like Pikachu doesn't like you at all," Misty said, then grinning. "Oh, people have pokémon like these all the time. He'll soften up for you, don't worry."

Just then Leaf, who had gone to the Pokémon Mart to get a Parlyz Heal for Ash, returned and knelt next to him. "Here," she said as she sprayed the can on his injured arm. He felt his nerves loosen up and then his arm become numb, but after a few moments his hand was as good as new.

"Thanks, Leaf. I really appreciate it," Ash said sincerely.

"Don't mention it." She sighed. "Can we go to the museum NOW?"

* * *

As the group entered the museum, they were soon met by the receptionist who demanded an admittance fee of fifty pokédollars which each of them paid. They took in their surroundings, marveling at the sights. The museum had several display cases and even a few paintings by famous painters such as Leonardo da Johto and Pablo Picasso to name a few. There was also a flight of stairs that led up to the second floor, where there were supposedly a few model rockets, regenerated prehistoric pokémon and information about space.

"Hey, let's go check out the fossil pokémon!" Ash said eagerly, motioning to the stairs. Amethyst was busy teleporting herself away to glory, startling a few people in the museum. "Come, Amethyst," he called, and his Sableye teleported right next to him.

"You two go ahead," Leaf said, staying in her position. "I really want to read more about these paintings." Ash shrugged and he made his way to the second story, Misty following him.

"I bet the fossil pokémon are really cool," Ash said dreamily. He then turned to Misty. "Wouldn't it be cool to have a prehistoric pokémon?"

Misty grinned. "Yeah, it would. I definitely want to fly on an Archeops or surf on a Carracosta."

They chatted some more until they reached the second floor, which was much bigger than the lower level. In it were two tanks containing pokémon in one side while the other side had an array of display cases and model rockets hanging from the ceiling.

Ash and Misty immediately made their way to the fossil section, where they took a closer look at the pokémon in the water tanks. The first pokémon had a spiral shell and was blue with tentacles, looking rather cute for being an Ammonoidea. His saucer-like eyes roved over Ash and Misty. The other pokémon had a large, brown shell covering her body with two small eyes facing upwards on the outside of her shell. She had four short, yellow legs and luminescent red eyes on her underside, which was unknown. Next to each pokémon was a fossil of their kind. Ash and Misty then took a look at the plates on each of the tanks and read them.

 _Omanyte, the spiral pokémon, is a water and rock type pokémon. A prehistoric pokémon that lived in primordial sea, it swims by twisting its ten tentacles about._

 _Kabuto, the shellfish pokémon, is a water and rock type pokémon. Kabuto is a pokémon that has been regenerated from a fossil. However, in extremely rare cases, living examples have been discovered. This pokémon has not changed at all for 300 million years._

"Whoa." Ash blinked as he looked at the two amazing pokémon swim in their respective tanks. It would've been so good if he had a pokémon like this! He really couldn't decide which pokémon he wanted from the two. He was lost in deep thought until Misty brought him back to his senses.

"Hey, Ash, look at that one," Misty said in awe as she pointed above. Ash turned his head up to see the skeleton of a pokémon hanging from the ceiling. This skeleton had large wings, razor sharp teeth and claws, and a frightening look. It looked as if it was about to munch off their heads in one fell swoop. Judging from its skeletal appearance, it looked very scary.

Ash then turned down and read out the description. "It says: _Aerodactyl, the fossil pokémon, is a rock and flying type pokémon. This vicious pokémon is said to have flown in ancient skies while shrieking high-pitched cries. Its large teeth suggest that it is carnivorous._ "

"This thing is…really scary," Misty muttered. "But I bet these things won't even be regenerated back to life."

Ash nodded. Suddenly realization struck him and he turned to his watch, looking at the time. 11:42 AM. The gym had already opened! He then calmed down. Well, he could wait. They had to have lunch in any case, so they could stay a little bit longer.

"Ah, admiring the Aerodactyl skeleton?" a charming voice said, and Ash snapped out of his daydream. He flinched at the voice and turned around, along with Misty, to see a man wearing a lab coat smile at them. Misty's heart fluttered at the sight of his youthful and tanned face and his sparkling blue eyes that went well with his sandy blonde hair.

"Uh…Y-Yes," Misty stammered, gaping at the handsome man in front of her.

The man chuckled. "We just got this from Johto, if you would like to know. We may send this to the Cinnabar Island Lab to regenerate it and produce a living, breathing, Aerodactyl!" he said enthusiastically.

Ash grinned. "Awesome."

Misty then cleared her throat. "Is it safe?"

The man tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean is it safe to regenerate an Aerodactyl who has already been pronounced as carnivorous? Won't it just eat people then?" Misty explained.

"Fear not." He waved his hand in dismissal. "We have studied the various behaviors of prehistoric pokémon very carefully. Even the mighty Aerodactyl can be tamed!" he said with a chuckle. "We are then sending this Aerodactyl to Kalos because we have suspicions that its species can undergo mega-evolution," he added slyly.

"Sableye, Sableye Sab!" Amethyst cried out, appearing onto Ash's head.

"What?" Ash snapped back, turning to look at her, the Sableye pointing behind her.

Two people were standing a few meters away from him, both wearing a white lab coat over their solid black uniforms, and a black hat to hide their faces. A Sandslash was standing right next to the man while a Nidorino stood next to the woman.

Ash turned back to Amethyst. "What? There's nothing wrong. They're probably scientists from another region or something," Ash dismissed. He then turned towards the scientist and smiled at him. "Well, it was a pleasure talking to you, sir. Coming to this museum was certainly entertaining."

The man smiled back. "Well, that's a good thing. Kids nowadays are only interested in electronics. Anyway, I'll take my leave. We hope to see you again!"

Ash turned to his watch and saw the time – 11:56. _Well, we can have lunch now, I guess,_ Ash thought. "Hey, Misty, why don't we head out for lunch now before going over to the gym?"

"That's fine with me. I guess we've already seen everything that there is to see here," Misty replied.

"Then let's go! We've gotta inform Leaf too," Ash added as they walked downstairs.

* * *

"Are you ready, Ash?" Leaf asked once again.

Ash heaved a sigh and then got a determined look on his face. "Okay, I'm ready."

Ash, Leaf, Misty and Amethyst stepped into the Pewter City Gym. They were in a very large room which was poorly lit, making it somewhat hard for the group to see. The battlefield was the normal ground, with blunt rocks scattered around the battlefield to fit the theme.

"Hello?" Ash called out. "Is anyone there? I'm here for my gym battle against Brock!"

Suddenly, bright lights illuminated the room, momentarily blinding the group. When their eyes adjusted to the light, they saw a teenage boy leaning against the wall across the room. The boy had dark-brow, spikey hair that stood out in many directions. His skin was tanned and had squinty eyes, and he wore a green vest over an orange shirt along with brown pants.

"Are you Brock?" Ash asked.

"I am," he confirmed, expressionless.

"Then I challenge you to a gym battle!" Ash yelled out, giving him a determined look.

Brock stood straight and walked towards his trainer box. "Alright," he said. Brock then turned behind and yelled, "Forrest, I need you to referee this match!" Suddenly a young boy that strikingly resembled Brock came out of nowhere and walked to the middle of the battlefield, two flags in his hand.

"Is this your first gym battle?" Brock asked. Ash nodded, and so did Brock after a second. "Then you can use as many pokémon as you have. It is a privilege that gyms allow to new trainers. If you were more experienced then you would be allowed to use the same pokémon as I would, that is two pokémon."

"I accept," Ash acknowledged as he nodded.

Forrest then spoke up. "This will be an official gym battle against Challenger Ash and Gym Leader Brock, the Mighty Mountain! The challenger is allowed to use as many pokémon as he has on hand and can make free substitutions, while the gym leader will use two pokémon with no substitutions! If the trainers are ready, the battle will begin!" Forrest then energetically raised his flag, indicating the start of the battle.

"C'mon, Ash you can do it!" Leaf and Misty yelled.

Brock took out a pokeball and tossed it in the air, saying: "Geodude, come on out!"

 _Who should I send out? Not Pidgeotto, she will hardly stand a chance with her flying type moves. Pikachu won't listen to me, while Lateralus and Amethyst are my powerhouses. The only pokémon that has decent moves against rock type pokémon is…_ "Butterfree, I choose you!"

* * *

 **...And, cut!**

 **That seems like a good place to end it. I hope that you guys enjoyed it, although I feel like this was more of a filler but I wanted Ash to capture Pikachu manga-style. Pikachu is now going to be the Charizard of Ash's team, since he won't obey him now for a while until the Pokemon League arc. Ash also buys a rock from Flint, but what role will that play in Ash's journey? Next up is the Pewter Gym challenge, so stay tuned! I also have a few surprises after the gym challenge and I hope you guys like it.**

 **For anyone that's caring to keep score, Ash's pokemon currently know the following moves:**

 **Amethyst(Sableye) :** _Teleport, Leer, Night Shade, Sucker Punch, Fury Swipes, Detect_

 **Lateralus(Porygon) :** _Conversion, Conversion 2, Tackle, Psybeam, Agility, Recover_

 **Butterfree :** _Harden, Confusion, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, Gust_

 **Pidgeotto :** _Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack, Whirlwind_

 **Pikachu :** _Thunder Shock, Quick Attack, Thunder Wave, Slam_

 **And now, answering questions that I got in reviews and PMs:**

 _ **Could ash get a feebas and/or amaura in the future (both preferably the kalos version shiny)?**_

Ash will get one of them, but I'm not telling which one.

 _ **Can you have Ash catch a clefairy, and a growlithe was suggested because of how loyal they can be and that just screams ash.**_

I don't think so for the first one, but I guess I'll include the latter.

 ** _will ash lose against brock in the canon or will he win?_**

...You'll have to see in the next chapter.

 _ **Will Ash catch noncanon pokemon?**_

Yes!

 _ **Are you going to include the celebi movie later?**_

I am now only focusing on the Kanto Arc, I don't know if I'll continue it later on. If I do, it may be going to be drastically different from the Anime (I think).


	5. The Pewter City Gym Battle!

**Chapter five, fellas! I hope you guys enjoy the gym battle and what I'm working on in the next chapters!**

* * *

Forrest moved out of the battlefield. "Butterfree versus Geodude, okay. Begin!" he shouted as he raised his flag in the end.

Ash flipped out his pokedex and scanned the Geodude. " **Geodude, the rock pokémon, is a dual rock and ground type pokémon. It is impossible to distinguish from rocks. It slams against others in contests of hardness. This Geodude is a male,** " the pokedex described.

"You may make the first move," Brock said as he crossed his arms.

Ash pocketed his device and then looked up at Butterfree. "Alright, Butterfree, use String Shot to make him slower!"

Butterfree obeyed the command and immediately shot out multiple strands of sticky string that wrapped around Geodude, cocooning him. Ash grinned at this but his happiness was short lived when Geodude easily broke out of the string with his hard and craggy body.

"What?" Ash exclaimed in surprise and amazement.

Brock only smirked. "Geodude, use Rock Throw!"

Ash blinked. "Butterfree, dodge each and every one of those rocks!" he exclaimed.

Butterfree soared in the air as Geodude smashed one of the nearby rocks, projecting smaller and pointed rocks in the air that coursed towards Butterfree. The bug type swiftly moved through the air as fast as he could, but due to the number of rocks Geodude had thrown, a few eventually managed to hit him.

"Freeeeee!" Butterfree cried out in pain, losing his balance for a moment before he finally managed to stay in the air.

"Butterfree, are you alright?" Ash asked, to which his pokémon nodded. "Okay, use Confusion!"

Butterfree nodded before his eyes glowed light-blue, enveloping the rock pokémon in a blue outline before lifting him up in the air.

"Great job, Butterfree – now slam it into the ground!" Ash called out. Butterfree willed Geodude to slam into the ground, which he did. Geodude slammed into the ground, creating a small explosion that caused several pebbles to fly out. Although the attack did not deal much of damage, Geodude still grimaced from the pain.

"Geodude, use Rock Polish!" Brock called out.

Geodude began to glow for a few seconds, seeming a lot shinier than before. His rocky body was also smoother, helping him to reduce drag.

Ash then remembered that the move greatly increased one's speed. "Watch out, Butterfree! Geodude is a lot faster now!" Butterfree nodded and then looked down at his opponent.

"Geodude, use Rock Throw!"

"Butterfree, stop him with Confusion!"

Butterfree's eyes once glowed again for a few moments, but Geodude stealthily moved across the field to disable Butterfree to focus his psychic attack on him. Geodude then slammed his fist on the ground, exploding it and sending pointed rocks flying towards Butterfree.

Ash smirked. "Butterfree, use Confusion to stop those rocks in midair!"

 _Now that's an easy target,_ Butterfree thought as he quickly enveloped the rocks with a blue aura, suspending them in midair. "Butterfree, now hurl those rocks back at Geodude!"

One by one, Geodude was pelted by the rocks hurled onto him. Even though he was a rock type pokémon, the rocks still hurt him and made him wince in pain.

"Great, Butterfree!" Ash appreciated. "Now use Sleep Powder on Geodude and speed it up by Gust!"

"Crap!" Brock cursed. "Geodude, get out of there!"

While Geodude was busy being pelted by the rocks, Butterfree flapped his wings and produced orange spores that floated down on Geodude. Butterfree smirked as he flapped his wings harder after the Sleep Powder was produced, sending the powder faster onto Geodude. The spores settled on his rocky body and quickly put him to sleep, keeping Butterfree safe from any attack.

"Ash is really doing great!" Leaf commented from the stands as she watched the battle.

"He certainly is," Misty agreed. "By putting Geodude to sleep, Butterfree can easily take him out since Brock can't recall his pokémon!"

"Yes!" Ash punched a fist in the air. "Keep using Confusion!"

Brock watched in horror as Butterfree continuously assaulted Geodude with weak telekinetic waves from his body, slamming the rock pokémon on the ground continuously while Geodude unconsciously winced in pain. The happened a few times until Geodude woke up and angrily stared at Butterfree.

"Geodude, use Rock Polish again!" Brock called out, Geodude glowing for a few moments as he greatly increased his speed.

"Butterfree, use Confusion!" Ash commanded.

"Geodude, use Rock Throw!"

As Butterfree readied his psychic attack, Geodude had already made his move by his increased speed and slammed his fist into a giant boulder, sending rocks flying towards Butterfree. The bug type cried out in pain as the rocks struck his body; one rock pierced his wing and Butterfree slumped to the ground, defeated.

"No, Butterfree!" Ash cried as he ran over to his pokémon and picked him in his arms.

"Butterfree is unable to battle!" Forrest declared. "The winner of this round is Geodude!"

"Oh, Butterfree lost," Leaf said sadly.

"Yep," Misty replied. "I want to see who Ash's next pokémon is going to be."

Ash gritted his teeth as he returned his knocked out pokémon. "Thanks, Butterfree. You did great. Now take a good rest," Ash told him as he recalled Butterfree in his pokeball.

Ash was now thinking about who he should send out next. He had to use a speedy pokémon to outdo Brock's Geodude. Fortunately, two of his pokémon had it – Amethyst and Pidgeotto. The only real question was whether it would be better in the air or in the ground. After a lot of thinking, he unclipped a pokeball and said, "Amethyst, I choose you!"

"Sab, Sableeeeeye!" Amethyst cried out as she appeared on the ground.

"Sableye versus Geodude, okay." Forrest raised a flag in the air. "Begin!"

"Geodude, use Rock Throw!" Brock called out.

"Amethyst, use Sucker Punch!" Ash retorted.

Amethyst growled in approval before running towards Geodude speedily and punching him with a powerful blow to his underside, making Geodude groan in pain as his arm was outstretched. Geodude slumped to the ground and rolled for a moment before stopping, signifying that he was out cold.

Ash grinned. "That was awesome!"

"Geodude is unable to battle!" Forrest said. "This round goes to Sableye!"

Brock returned Geodude back in his pokeball and gave it a sad smile. "You did well, Geodude. Take a good rest," he said. He then turned to Ash. "That was impressive, Ash. But will you be able to handle my next pokémon?"

"Amethyst and I can handle anything you throw at us!" Ash said determinedly. Amethyst gave a grin in response.

"We'll see." Brock then unclipped a pokeball and tossed it in the air. "Onix, go!"

The pokeball opened up to reveal an enormous serpentine pokémon that slithered on the ground before giving Ash and Amethyst a demeaning look. The creature had to be more than twenty-five feet long! Enormous boulders made up the pokémon's body, the rocks getting small and smaller as Ash's eyes roved from its head to its tail.

Amethyst was nothing compared to the Onix in size; nothing. She was simply a diminutive structure placed in front of the giant rock snake, who regarded at her with a demeaning look.

"Are you sure you can face this?" Brock asked with a smirk.

Ash gulped. "Y-Yeah," he uttered, sounding very unsure.

Forrest nodded. "Onix versus Sableye, okay. Begin!"

"Onix, use Bind!" Brock commanded.

Ash's scared look suddenly turned sly. "Stay there, Amethyst!"

The Sableye simply turned and looked confused, but nevertheless obeyed the command. Onix dived forward and spun around Amethyst with blinding speed, grasping her in an attempt to make her cry in pain. Brock raised an eyebrow in confusion when Onix simply went through Amethyst.

A moment later Brock cursed under his breath, making Ash smirk. "Onix, use Rock Throw!"

Onix looked up in the sky and roared, conjuring pointed stones in the air. He then snapped his head forward, causing the stones to dive at Amethyst with lightning speed. The Sableye teleported on the field, trying her best to evade the rocks but eventually some managed to hit her and pinned her to the floor.

"Shit!" Ash winced before pulling out Amethyst's pokeball and pressed a button, a ray of red light ejecting from the sphere. The beam headed towards Amethyst and attempted to absorb her inside the ball, but Onix slyly slithered between the Sableye and the beam of light, preventing Amethyst to be absorbed inside.

Leaf's eyes widened. "But…But that's cheating!" she complained.

Misty shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Leaf. It's a dirty trick, but I don't see Ash complaining at all. It's just like Block, or Mean Look."

Ash gritted his teeth. "Amethyst, use Night Shade!"

"Onix, dodge it!" Brock called out.

Amethyst's eyes glowed for a moment before shooting black beams from each one, headed towards Onix's face. Onix simply stood on his tail and took a form of a spring, the black beams shooting through the hole formed by his body.

Ash cursed under his breath. "Onix, use Iron Tail!" Brock roared.

"Amethyst, Detect!"

Amethyst's eyes glinted in remembrance while Onix's tail glowed brightly, hardening and straightening as he brought down his tail upon his opponent. Amethyst thrusted her hand forward and a protective barrier formed, the tail bouncing harmlessly off the shield. Brock tapped his knee and Onix nodded, roaring to conjure rocks that hurled towards Amethyst. The Sableye squealed in pain as the rocks struck her body, pinning her to the ground.

"Onix, Iron Tail!" Brock ordered.

"No! Amethyst, teleport out of there!" he yelled.

Amethyst scowled when she saw Onix's tail glowing once again but nevertheless vanished, the rock snake's tail slamming against the ground. "Night Shade, Amethyst!" Ash commanded, to which Amethyst struck Onix with beams from her eyes. Onix cried out in pain before instinctively slapping his tail against Amethyst. Amethyst flew back and slammed into the wall, slumping to the ground unconscious.

"Amethyst!" cried out Ash, running towards his pokémon and cradling her in his arms.

"Sableye is unable to battle!" Forrest declared. "The winner of this round is Brock and his Onix!"

"You did really well, Amethyst," Ash said with a smile. Amethyst weakly smiled back before losing her consciousness. Ash recalled her back in her pokeball and unclipped another.

"Pidgeotto, go!" Ash shouted, the avian pokémon popping out of her pokeball and taking to the air.

"Are you sure that's a good choice?" Brock said in an amused voice. "Nevertheless, let us continue this battle!"

Forrest nodded. "Pidgeotto versus Onix; begin!"

"Pidgeotto, use Whirlwind!" he commanded.

Brock smirked. "Onix, capture it with your tail and throw it back at Pidgeotto!"

Onix nodded. Pidgeotto flapped her wings and formed a powerful tornado that headed towards her opponent in an attempt to knock him back. Instead, Onix swirled his tail in the eye of the tornado, making it spin around his tail. Onix then thrusted his tail forward, the whirlwind speeding towards Pidgeotto and knocked her back.

"Pidgeotto, try an Air Cutter!" Ash suggested.

Pidgeotto nodded, slashing a wing in the air which created a blade of air. The blade coursed towards Onix and came in contact with a rock in his body, but it seemed like it did not deal any damage to Onix.

Ash stomped his foot in frustration. _Flying type attacks are weak to Rock type pokémon. How could I forget that?_ "Pidgeotto, use Gust!"

"Onix, use Bind!" Brock retorted.

Onix reached out with his tail and snatched Pidgeotto before she had the chance to flap her wings. Onix then began to squeeze Pidgeotto in his rock-hard tail, making her cry out in pain.

"Pidgeotto, try to break free!" Ash called out.

"It's no use, Ash!" Brock shouted with a smirk. Ash winced; it was true. Onix's hold was too tight for Pidgeotto to even contract a muscle, and she was clearly struggling to get free from the immense pain. Ash knew he couldn't be reckless, since Onix's grip was only getting tighter and tighter by the second. It was then that he made a choice.

"Brock, stop!" shouted Ash, clenching his fist. "Pidgeotto's had enough!"

"Very well." Brock stroked his chin. "Onix, release Pidgeotto. She is now out," he said. The rock snake did as he was told, loosened his grip and gently set Pidgeotto on the ground. The bird pokémon simply lay there and gasped for breath.

"Return, Pidgeotto," Ash called as he withdrew her. "You were amazing, Pidgeotto," he said with a sad smile. He then took out another pokeball and threw it in the air, saying, "Lateralus, I choose you!"

The Porygon materialized in the air and gave a mechanical cry. The Porygon looked around until it saw its opponent, analyzed him.

"Lateral-what?" asked Brock in confusion. "Anyway, let us continue! Onix, use Rock Throw!"

"Lateralus use Psybeam and destroy them!"

The Porygon made another mechanical sound before shooting an odd beam, obliterating the plummeting rocks that headed towards hit. Ash cringed as an evasive rock struck the top of Lateralus' head, but the Porygon simply shook it off.

"Awesome, Lateralus!" praised Ash. "Now use another Psybeam, this time only to the protruding-thing on his head!"

The Porygon nodded and fired another psychic beam at Onix, striking the rocky spine on his head. Onix roared in pain and wriggled on the ground, slapping Lateralus on accident. Lateralus shot another beam at the same spot, receiving the same result.

"That's good, Lateralus!" Ash said.

Brock scowled. "Onix, use Rock Throw!"

Ash folded his arms. "Lateralus, use Conversion 2!"

While Onix conjured rocks in mid-air, Lateralus started to glow and shine brightly, appearing to be an amorphous ball of light. A moment later the ball of light exploded outwards and Lateralus was floating, shining brighter than usual and even looked harder and sturdier. The Porygon looked up before the rocks crashed on it, but Lateralus simply blinked as the rocks dealt hardly any damage.

Brock gritted his teeth while Ash, Misty and Leaf smiled. "So right now Lateralus is a steel, ground or fighting type," Misty said.

Leaf grinned. "So that makes it resistant to any of Onix's rock type attacks!"

Ash opened his pokedex to identify Lateralus' new typing, which would prove advantageous against Onix. " **Upon using Conversion 2, Lateralus is now a steel type,** " the pokedex described.

"Onix," Brock said, "use Nature Power!"

Ash cursed under his breath. "Shit, I hate TMs!" Ash very well knew that Nature Power's attack would change upon the user's surroundings – in a grassy terrain, it would be Energy Ball, in water it would be Hydro Pump and so on. Ash clenched his fist, since in a sand and rock terrain the outcome would most probably be an Earth Power or an Earthquake.

Ash's suspicions were right. Onix growled, slamming his rock-hard tail on the ground. The ground cracked open, gold light escaping from the cracks which travelled all the way towards Lateralus. The cracks then stopped directly below Lateralus, who looked confused before the ground below it exploded and hit it with chunks of coagulated mud and rocks. Lateralus was pulled to the ground and was struggling to keep itself afloat.

"Lateralus, are you okay?!" Ash asked in a concerned tone. The Porygon nodded back, but weakly. "Okay, Lateralus – use Psybeam!"

Brock dramatically pointed towards Ash and Lateralus. "Onix, use Skull Bash!"

Lateralus groaned mechanically before readying an odd beam, firing it towards Onix. The beam hit him on the spine on his head, slowing Onix down but he quickly sped up. Onix slammed his head into Lateralus; the Porygon slumped to the ground and twitched before closing its eyes, while Onix whimpered from the recoil pain.

"Porygon is unable to battle!" Forrest stated. "Onix wins!"

"Return, Lateralus," Ash said, absorbing it inside the pokeball. "You did well, Lateralus. I'll see you in the Pokémon Centre."

"Send out your next pokémon, challenger Ash!" Forrest shouted.

Leaf furrowed her brow. "Wait…isn't Ash's last pokémon Pikachu?"

Misty nodded. "I'd like to see how Ash managed with him," she plainly stated.

Ash looked down at the ground before looking up at Onix. The rock snake was wheezing and panting heavily, clearly showing that he was very tired. _Looks like Onix's pretty tired; I bet Pikachu can take him out. But will he listen to me?_ He shook his head. _I guess I'll just have to find out._ "Your foe's weak! Get him, Pikachu!"

The Pikachu materialized on the floor and tilted his head in confusion. The mouse pokémon then analyzed his surrounding, paying particular attention to the intimidating Onix in front of him. Pikachu then turned towards Ash and realized the whole situation: he was in a pokémon battle, where his 'master' would command him to perform some silly attacks. Pikachu wasn't going to do that! Instead, he was going to do whatever he wanted to!

"Pikachu versus Onix," Forrest acknowledged. "Begin!"

"Onix, let's finish this!" Brock yelled.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash commanded.

 _Yeah, like that's going to happen,_ Pikachu thought as he rolled his eyes. Instead, he did something very different. He rolled on the ground until he lay on his side, closed his eyes and went off to sleep.

Ash scowled at the act and felt like slapping himself. _Oh, no! If Pikachu doesn't get up then I lose the bloody match!_ "Pikachu, get up!" Pikachu simply wagged his tail and disobeyed Ash even further.

Brock deadpanned. "What…is the meaning of this? Is this a joke?!"

Forrest raised a flag, turned towards Ash and snapped his fingers to get the raven-haired boy's attention. "Challenger, if your pokémon does not wake up, you will be out of the match!" Ash nodded reluctantly. "I will give you to the count of three: One…Two…"

"Wake up, Pikachu!" Ash pleaded, but he stopped his chants as soon as Forrest spoke up.

"…Three! Challenger, you are out of the match! The winner of this pokémon battle is Gym Leader Brock!"

* * *

 _Tip Tap._

Ash stared out of the window as rain slammed against it. The weather outside the Pokémon Centre had quickly changed in the past few minutes to reflect his horrible mood.

…Miserable.

He knew that gym battles were extremely tough, and he certainly hadn't expected to win his first gym battle on his first try; no, he hadn't expected that. But he certainly hadn't expected such a horrible loss.

But he had no one to blame but himself. From the moment he got his pokémon, he was so focused on getting on the road, all so that he could reach Pewter City and get a badge in the first few weeks of being a trainer, something even Lance himself hadn't accomplished.

"Ash, your pokémon are now healed. You can come here and collect them now," Nurse Joy said.

He immediately got up and walked over to the nurse, taking his pokéballs before giving Nurse Joy a half-smile. "Thanks, Nurse Joy." Ash then pulled out his Trainer Card and handed it over to the pink-haired lady. "I would like to book a room for the night, please." Nurse Joy nodded and registered him on the computer before handing him his card back. "Thank you," he said as he left.

Misty and Leaf walked up to him. "Ash?" Leaf asked. "I'm worried about you. Are you going to be okay?" Ash nodded, but didn't seem sure. "Look, you did all you could, okay, and so did your pokemon." She then gave a disgusted look. "Most of them, anyway."

Misty scowled. "That Onix has to be on steroids or something! I bet Brock gave him Proteins, Carbos HP Ups and all those other stat enhancing drinks. That Onix is overpowered!"

Ash ignored Misty and continued to walk towards the door of the Pokemon Centre. He just wanted some time alone.

* * *

He didn't care about the rain soaking him and his clothes. He simply stared down at the ground while Amethyst stood by his side, concerned about her trainer. "Sableye?" she asked in an anxious voice.

Ash smile sadly back. "I'm fine, Amethyst. It's just…Oh, never mind."

"Didn't win, did ya?" a familiar voice asked, bringing him back to the real world.

Ash whipped back to see none other than Flint standing a few feet away from him, umbrella in his hand. "What're you doing here?"

Flint looked down nervously. "Oh, um…I was just searching for customers." Ash rolled his eyes. "So, did you win?" he asked again, and Ash's expression soon turned serious.

"…I don't wanna talk about it." Ash turned away from Flint, Amethyst teleporting on his shoulder.

Flint smirked. "So I take it that you lost, eh?"

Ash sighed. "Yeah…I just…I just thought that I had a chance at this! Now I'm just a failure at being a trainer."

Flint walked closer and put the umbrella over Ash, protecting him from the rain. "No, you're not. Look, you just need to train harder and believe in yourself, okay?" Flint looked down and started to walk away. Ash raised an eyebrow and looked at the older man. "C'mon, follow me. I know a place where you can train."

Ash narrowed his eyes. "And where is that?"

Flint simply kept walking, only with a smirk this time. "Have you ever heard of Don George, or Battle Clubs?"

* * *

 **I love cliffhangers, I simply love them!**

 **A side note: And this is the surprise I've kept for the next chapter. I was originally planning to have Ash talk to Flint, train a bit, foil a JJM plan and then challenge Brock again.**

 **However, the original idea I had stumped me later on. I had decided that he should go back to Route 2 and battle wild Rattata/Pidgey for a while, as you would normally do in the games. This simply does not seem to be an enjoyable read - Ash battling an endless line of Caterpie, Pidgey, Spearow, Rattata, etc is plain BORING. It would work if I simply mentioned it, but that would be too short.**

 **Another idea was for Flint to battle Ash endlessly, but that would be dull too.**

 **And so I thought of the Battle Club being the perfect idea. A proper training arena with a tournament would be good enought for Ash to get better.**

 **Now, I know that Brock's Onix was WAAAAAAY overpowered, but I made it so so that I could implement the Battle Club idea.**

 **That is what I have to say for this A/N! As always, tell me what you guys think! I'll see you all next chapter.**

 **And now, answering your questions!**

 ** _Are you going to have Ash catch Mewtwo and Leaf catch Mew, and are you going to have them catch the clone pokemon._**

No, none of them are going to catch the clone pokemon or Mew or Mewtwo.

 ** _Also is there going to be a pairing? or just pure adventure_**

Yes, there is going to be a pairing. I'm planning to do an AshxLeaf or GaryxLeaf (whether you like it or not :P).

 _ **good chapter.**_  
 _ **ask what fossil ash picked to flint (i see no reason why ash would buy a usual rock)**_

Don't worry, the rock Flint gave Ash is going to be something special. I already gave so many hints lol!

 ** _will there be aura?_**

Yes, there will.

 _ **Screw Misty bash Misty pls?**_

...That doesn't seem like a bad idea...Hmm...


	6. Battle Clubs

**Holy shit.**

 **I didn't expect the previous chapter to brew so much.**

 **And because of the last chapter, that is Brock crushing Ash, I got a butt-load of PMs (okay, I got ten or something like that) telling me that I made Ash too weak and stuff. My point was that Ash WAS too weak. He didn't train all of his pokemon properly...Actually, that's my fault. But anyway, he didn't train his Porygon properly and he always focused on his ace - Amethyst. So I made Ash lose so that he would realise his mistakes and train harder and better than before., that is, in the Battle Club.**

 **Now I don't know everything about Battle Clubs, but I'm pretty sure this is how it works.**

 **P.S. This is, by far, the LONGEST chapter I've ever written for any story, amounting to around 10,000 words. So I'm happy :)**

 **P.P.S. There's also a surprise at the end!**

 **R &R.**

* * *

Ash blinked. "Battle Club…?"

Flint nodded. "The Battle Club is a new facility located on the eastern edge of the town where trainers can train with their pokémon. A few Battle Clubs hold tournaments, like the one in this city, and the winner of the tournament receives great prizes, like TMs and stuff."

"Wow, that sounds great!" said Ash enthusiastically. "Let's go now!"

Flint snorted. "The Battle Club is now closed. Why don't you go there in the morning? It'll be a great way to start your day and you can train your pokémon so that they can be good battlers."

Ash raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with my pokémon team?" he asked, confused.

Flint shook his head. "Well…let's just say that your team is, right now, pathetic. I mean, you got _crushed_ by Brock in your gym battle. You have to train more." Silence filled the air. "…Follow me, Ash. I can help you with your training. Follow me," he said as he began walking.

After walking for about half an hour, Flint stopped right in front a small house at the outskirts of the city. The house was a mess on the inside – a couple of books were open and lying on the ground while liquids were spilled on the floor. There was a bad odor that almost made Ash gag, but he held it in.

"Have you heard of TMs, or Technical Machines, before?" Flint asked when they entered the house.

Ash nodded. "Yeah, of course!" he replied back. "They're pretty amazing – because of them pokémon can learn moves they don't learn naturally."

"The moves I can teach your pokémon will be brought here shortly," Flint said, and he walked deeper inside his home. A couple of minutes later he reappeared, only this time with a box that contained small, circular disks in them.

"So what are the moves you're going to teach my pokémon?" Ash asked.

"Send out your pokémon first, Ash," Flint said, and Ash did so. In a few seconds all of his pokémon were on the floor – Pidgeotto, Lateralus, Butterfree, Amethyst and his notorious and disobedient Pikachu.

Flint stroked his bear for a few moments before pulling out five TMs – two were silver in color, the third in green, a fourth one in light-blue while the last one was brick-red. They all seemed to radiate different waves of energy.

"The TMs that your pokémon can learn are Energy Ball, Brick Break, Iron Tail, Steel Wing and Ice Beam – the first one is for Butterfree, the second for your Sableye, the third for Pikachu, Steel Wing is for Pidgeotto and Ice Beam is for Porygon. Now, each of these attacks is super effective against all of Brock's pokémon, and his main powerhouse is Onix. He's carefully raised Onix and he is Brock's strongest pokémon," Flint explained.

"I see," Ash murmured. He then turned to his pokémon. "Hey guys, are you all fine if I teach you some new moves with these TMs?" Ash asked. He would never do something like this without his pokémon's permission first. Four of his pokémon gladly agreed, while Pikachu murmured something that Ash took as a 'yes'.

Ash turned to Flint and opened his mouth to thank him, but something suddenly occurred to him. "Hey, why are you helping me? And why are you giving me TMs? They don't grow on trees, you know," Ash said suspiciously.

Flint rubbed the back of his head. "Honestly, I don't know myself, but I feel that something good may happen if I do it," he admitted.

"Um, okay, but thank you nevertheless," Ash said before turning to look at the TMs. "So how do these things work?"

"Can you see that small headband-like thing?" Flint asked. Ash took a better look and saw an arched structure connected to the disk. "Place them on your pokémon's head so that they hold the thing steady."

"Fine," Ash said as he did what he was told.

"Then go ahead and press the button in the middle to activate the machine."

Ash pressed the button; pretty soon the disks started to spin rapidly and a mechanical look appeared on all of Ash's pokémon's faces. He was worried that they were hurt but they showed no signs of uneasiness or pain. After about a minute the machines stopped whizzing.

"Okay, take of the machines. Your pokémon now know those moves," Flint said.

After Ash removed the TMs from each of their heads he asked: "How do you feel?"

His pokémon nodded.

Ash turned to Flint a moment later. "Flint, is it okay if I try their attacks right now?"

Flint nodded. He then led Ash out of his house and to the woods, telling him to try out the moves.

"Alright everyone, let's check out your newfound power!" Ash exclaimed. "Amethyst, use Brick Break on that rock! Butterfree, use Energy Ball! Pikachu use Iron Tail and Pidgeotto use Steel Wing! Lateralus, freeze that tree with Ice Beam!"

Ash's pokémon nodded and launched their attacks. Amethyst's fists glowed as she slammed them into a big boulder, smashing it into bits. Butterfree formed a green orb of energy in front of his mouth before shooting it in front of him, accidentally hitting Pikachu. Pikachu growled before electrocuting the bug type and slamming his iron-hard tail on Butterfree's face, making Ash wince. Pidgeotto rushed over to Pikachu with her wings glowing sliver, catching him off-guard and slamming her wings into the rodent. Pikachu flew it the air and landed on the ground, unconscious. Ash sighed at the mayhem but smiled when he saw his Porygon perfectly strike a tree with a thick beam of frost, freezing it. Ash grinned, knowing that with further training he would be able to defeat Brock easily and get his first gym badge.

* * *

After a good night's sleep, Ash got up early, had his breakfast and headed towards the Battle Club building with Leaf and Misty in hot pursuit.

The Battle Club's building was a huge one. Largely square in shape, it stood six storeys high and dominated over the buildings that stood nearby. Around the building there were several grassy lawns, each of them divided from the others by winding pathways. In the middle of each lawn there were either flower beds or a couple of trees. In these trees several Pidgey had made their nests, chirping cheerily as trainers roamed the area.

Ash, Leaf and Misty hurried eagerly along one of the winding paths that led to the front door, but they soon came to a stop when the door opened and a familiar face sneered at them.

"Well, well, well," Gary said in a mocking voice, "If it isn't Ash Ketchum, Pallet Town's loser! Finally made it this far, did ya? Took you long enough to get to even Pewter City."

Ash clenched his fist. "For your information, Gary, I've been in Pewter for several days," he snapped back.

Gary smirked at him. "Is that so? I've been over here for over two weeks, making use of this place," he said, gesturing at the Battle Club. "I guess you've got your first gym badge yet?"

"Err…" Ash uttered awkwardly.

Gary started to laugh wildly. "What a loser. I'll smell ya later, Ashy-boy!" Still laughing, Gary walked away and out of their sight.

"Grr, that jerk," Ash growled, watching Gary go with his fists balled.

"Cool it, Ash," Leaf said as she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Don't listen to Gary."

"Can we go in now?" Misty asked, waving her hand in front of Ash's face.

* * *

The interior of the Battle Club was even more impressive.

At least thirty trainers, and their pokémon, were making good use of the facility. There was a large gymnasium which contained almost everything, from treadmills to punching bags and weights. A swimming pool was present in one room, while another had a couple of battlefields for practice battles. There were several screens where people could watch pokémon battles taking place in the club.

Ash grinned from ear-to-ear. "This is…so COOL!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

"It certainly is," a voice said. Ash furrowed his brow. _Why does this voice seem so…familiar?_ "I've been training here for several days."

Ash whipped around and smiled. "Ritchie, you're here!"

"Who's he?" Misty asked.

"Oh, he's our friend. He started out with us from Pallet town," Leaf informed, then turning to Ritchie. "So, Ritchie, getting a bit of last-minute training before challenging the gym?" she asked with a smirk.

"Well, all my pokémon were at a type disadvantage, so I lost to only Brock's Geodude," Ritchie said, sighing and rubbing the back of his neck.

Ash put a comforting hand on the other boy's shoulder. "Well, at least you didn't have to face his Onix. That creature is a beast, a monster!"

"Anyway, I went out to get another one. I've been training him up here for quite some time, and I think he's almost ready." Ritchie explained.

"So where is this mystery pokémon of yours?" Misty asked.

Ritchie grinned. "Alright, I'll show you. Alan, come out!" he said, tossing his pokeball in the air that opened up with a flash of white light. A bipedal, mammalian pokémon with a dry, tough and yellow hide appeared on the floor, scratching the back of his ear with his forepaws. The pokémon had blue, almond-shaped eyes, a pointed snout and triangular ears with white insides. His tail was thick and conical, matching the color of the hide which had a brick-like pattern, but his underbelly and muzzle were white. His claws were very sharp and appeared to gleam in the light.

Ash quickly pulled out his pokedex and scanned the pokémon. " **Sandshrew, the mouse pokémon, is a ground type pokémon. Sandshrew has a very dry hide that is extremely tough. The pokémon can roll into a ball that repels almost any attack. At night, it burrows into the desert to sleep. This Sandshrew is a male.** "

"A Sandshrew?" asked Ash curiously.

Ritchie nodded. "Both of Brock's pokémon are part rock types, so a ground type pokémon like Sandshrew can repel all of their rock type attacks. I'm also trying to teach him Iron Tail," Ritchie informed.

"Well, well. What do we have here?"

The four turned around to see that a tall man had entered the room and stood right behind them. He was tall and muscular with black eyes and short, black hair. He wore a red belt, red cuffs and a black shirt.

"Hello, Don George," Ritchie greeted politely. "These are Leaf, Misty and Ash, friends of mine."

The man gave a wide smile. "Welcome to the Battle Club. My name is Don George – I own and run this facility."

Ash blinked. "I've never heard of Battle Clubs before."

Don George laughed heartily. "Of course you haven't. This idea was originally from the Unova region!"

"Unova…?" Leaf questioned.

Don George nodded. "The Unova region is located thousands of miles away from Kanto. The pokémon there are completely different from what you'll normally find here. My family owns many Battle Clubs that are stationed in almost all the towns and cities in Unova! We've been waiting to expand this idea further, and Kanto was the first to allow us to construct Battle Clubs. Every major city in this region has a Battle Club! Except for Viridian City, though…"

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Why isn't there–?"

"Because the gym leader of that city has always been disapproving out applications there," Don George said with a shrug. "In any case, the finals of today's tournament are going on, so I think you lads may find it to be a good watch!"

"That sounds great," Misty agreed. "Come on, let's go!"

The other three all agreed and they left the room to head to the main stadium. The seats were crowded, but the four managed to find empty seats in the stands. Two trainers walked on the field – a girl with large, maroon hair, wearing blue shorts and a white shirt and a boy who brushed his brown hair with his hand, giving a dazzling smile as he adjusted his blue tee.

Don George was standing on a small podium located on the side of the battlefield, in line with the half-way mark. It seemed that he would be refereeing this match.

"The following battle will be a three versus three pokémon battle between trainers Kamal Chadha and Ellen Martinez!" Don George announced, raising his hands in the air while the crowd roared in approval. "There will be free substitutions and no time limit. Trainers will not be allowed to use any items except for berries. For this battle, Trainer Ellen will send out her pokémon first."

Ash's eyes widened and turned to look at Leaf and Misty, whose eyes widened as well. "I-It's Ellen! From Route One!"

Ritchie tilted his head in confusion. "You know her?"

"Yeah, she saved our lives from a wild Gyarados," Misty explained casually.

It really was the same Ellen that Ash had met. Ash really wanted to see the girl battle, who took out a pokeball in green camouflage – a Safari-Ball – and tossed it in the air. "Scyther, go."

The ball snapped open, sending out a green pokémon who flapped her wings rapidly as she stretched her limbs. The pokémon had sharp scythes for arms and had an intimidating look, glaring at Kamal.

"What's that?" Leaf asked as she opened up her pokedex and scanned the pokémon.

" **Scyther, the mantis pokémon, is a dual bug and flying type pokémon,** " the pokedex described. " **It slashes through grass with its sharp scythes, moving too fast for the human eye to see. This Scyther is a female.** "

"Sounds tough," Misty murmured. "I wonder how that Kamal will counter it."

Kamal, a boy with brown skin, smirked and plucked out a pokeball of his own. Then, with a determined look he shouted, "Ponyta, go!"

The pokeball burst open and sent out an equine pokémon with yellow and reddish-orange flames forming his mane and tail. His body was mainly cream and had four long legs, each ending in a single, grey hoof. The Ponyta pawed at the ground and whinnied loudly, as if trying to frighten his opponent.

Leaf once again used her pokedex to learn more about the Ponyta.

" **Ponyta, the fire horse pokémon, is a fire type pokémon. Ponyta is very weak at birth. It can barely stand up. This pokémon becomes stronger by stumbling and falling to keep up with its parent. This Ponyta is a male,** " the pokedex said.

"Kamal has the type advantage here," Ritchie muttered.

"That doesn't mean that he'll win this match," Ash replied back.

Don George raised his arms. "Begin!" he called out.

Ellen seemed to be fine with this matchup because she simply rolled her eyes when she saw the Ponyta on the field. "Scyther, use Focus Energy."

Scyther nodded and her muscles tensed up, a red aura outlining her body. A few moments later the aura disappeared, but Scyther's blades were looking a lot sharper now.

"Ponyta, use Flame Charge!" Kamal shouted. Ponyta shrouded himself in thick flames as he stomped the ground, then galloping towards Scyther with a smirk on his face. Ponyta growled as he came even closer to Scyther, who was simply staying afloat calmly.

It was then that Ellen decided to speak up. "Scyther, dodge and then use Vacuum Wave."

Scyther fluttered her wings even faster and rose into the air, Ponyta crashing into the ground as he missed the bug type pokémon. Scyther then slashed her scythes in the air, a blade of wind travelling towards Ponyta with blinding speed. The wind struck the fire horse pokémon and a bruise mark appeared there while Ponyta groaned in pain.

"Ponyta, are you fine?" Kamal asked, anxious, and his steed nodded. "Now use Fire Spin!"

"Double Team followed by Razor Wind." Ellen looked down at her nails while she spoke. Scyther nodded and made numerous, illusionary copies of herself, flying in different direction to make it harder for Ponyta to focus. Ponyta finally spewed a spiralling flame that struck a clone and made it disappear. Scyther then crossed her scythes which started to glow brightly white. She then slashed them forwards, multiple, white, crescent-shaped energy beams coming out and striking Ponyta.

"Aw, crap!" Kamal exclaimed, worried about his pokémon. He frantically searched the pokeball for Ponyta, but Ellen had already ordered Scyther to attack with Aerial Ace. Scyther swiftly slashed Ponyta with her scythe, successfully knocking him out. It was then that Kamal took out a pokeball and recalled Ponyta.

"Kamal's Ponyta is unable to battle!" Don George announced. "Therefore this round goes to Ellen and her Scyther!"

"That Scyther is strong," Ash said in awe.

"She really is," Ritchie agreed. "Even though Scyther was at a type disadvantage, she totally schooled Ponyta with her awesome speed and strength!"

Clearly disappointed, Kamal took out another pokeball with his head hung low. "Graveler, finish off that Scyther!"

Out of the pokeball came a living, bipedal boulder. She had a rocky about her small eyes and had four arms, each with a three-fingered hand. Her body was craggy and rough, and the pokémon rolled on the ground once before standing straight up.

Ash consulted his pokedex, which identified the pokémon. There were quite a few number of pokémon that he saw in Pallet Town, other than a few that his brother had shown him whenever he was around. " **Graveler, the rock pokémon, is a rock and ground type and the evolved form of Geodude. Graveler grows by feeding on rocks. Apparently, it prefers to eat rocks that are covered in moss. This pokémon eats its way through a ton of rocks on a daily basis. This Graveler is a female of her species,** " the pokedex said.

"Another type advantage for Kamal," Misty said, almost bored.

"I want to see where this goes," Ash exclaimed, excited for the outcome.

"Vacuum Wave." Scyther slashed her scythes in the air, two blades of wind striking Graveler on her craggy skin. Graveler winced in pain and cringed, her trainer gritting his teeth in raw anger.

"Graveler, use Roll Jump *****!" Kamal ordered. Graveler grinned as she curled up into a boulder, then rolling speedily towards Scyther's shadow on the battlefield. Ellen and Scyther narrowed their eyes and so did Ash.

"What…is Graveler doing?" Ash asked in confusion.

Misty snorted. "Doesn't Kamal know that Scyther's floating in the air?"

Then, in a fraction of a second, Graveler pushed herself in the air with her arms and legs, ascending swiftly at Scyther. Scyther, who was surprised, simply hovered in her position while Graveler slammed into her, knocking the mantis pokémon to the ground.

"Whoa!" Ritchie exclaimed in awe. "What the hell was that?"

Leaf smirked. "Graveler first performed Rollout, rolling straight below Scyther, and then she simply projected herself upwards to knock Scyther down! That's brilliant!" she remarked.

"Scyther doesn't look so good after taking that trick," Misty observed, the Scyther struggling to get up from the ground.

"Great job, Graveler!" Kamal praised. "Now use Rock Blast!"

Graveler raised her arms in the air, three blue rings appearing and spinning around her body. The rings then glowed white and morphed into glowing white rocks that too spun around Graveler's body. Graveler then threw her arms forward, launching the fast-moving rocks at Scyther.

"Scyther, destroy the rocks with Vacuum Wave!" Ellen commanded, the intensity of her voice rising for the first time during the battle.

Scyther's eyes widened as she saw the rocks coursing towards her, and instantly her scythes glowed white before lashing them in the air several times. Multiple blades of wind struck each rock, crumbling them to fragments of rock as miniature explosions took place.

"Scyther, use Double Team and Steel Wing." Kamal's eyes widened as he saw several figures through the dust, unable to make out which was the real one. The clones then sped towards Graveler, wings hardened and glowing while the rock pokémon frantically searched for the real Scyther.

"Graveler, use Self-Destruct!" Kamal ordered in desperation, cringing in regret.

"Scyther, keep going," Ellen called out casually.

"What?" Ash shouted, raising an eyebrow. "Is she crazy?"

Ritchie shook his head. "She knows that even if Scyther flies away, she still is going to be in the explosion radius. Ellen might've thought of at least giving a final strike to Graveler."

"But—But Graveler's going to faint anyway, why does Scyther have to get hurt even further?" asked Ash. Ritchie merely shrugged and turned his eyes to the field.

Graveler, while Ritchie and Ash were talking, had been glowing white and had been crackling with immense energy, threatening to lash out this energy at Scyther. Scyther, however, was still flying towards Graveler, but with a scared expression on her face. At last, when Scyther was but an inch away from Graveler, the rock pokémon violently exploded, waves of dust speeding in all directions and covering the battlefield with it. Looking at the intensity of the explosion, everyone knew that both pokémon were surely knocked out.

Self-Destruct was, and still is, a deadly move to be used in a pokémon battle. Ash had heard of several weaker pokémon dying from a Self-Destruct from a more powerful opponent. That was the main reason as to why trainers very rarely used Self-Destruct, and even more rarely ordered their pokémon to use Explosion.

Explosion was, simply put, a billion times more powerful than Self-Destruct, capable to destroy cities if used by an incredibly powerful pokémon. Cases were present wherein the user itself had succumbed after using the attack, and this was the main reason as to why such few pokémon had learned those moves naturally, with all having powerful hides and bodies that could hold that much power inside them, such as Weezing and Forretress, or even the legendary pokémon like the Three Golems and Azelf itself. The TM for Explosion was banned in by the Pokémon League Association, although rumours of the TM being present in black markets and by smuggling were still roaming the lands. Ash shuddered at the thought of an opponent of his commanding his or her pokémon to use Self-Destruct or, even worse, Explosion.

The dust finally cleared, and unsurprisingly Scyther and Graveler were lying on the ground, knocked out. A large crater was present wherein Scyther and Graveler were lying unconscious. Scyther was panting heavily while Graveler's eyes were closed, still alive. The two trainers recalled their pokémon and gave them to a pokémon nurse that had come to take their pokéballs. Kamal and Ellen then turned to face each other with another pokeball in each hand.

"Grr…" Kamal growled, tossing the pokeball in the air. "Mismagius, go!" The pokeball snapped open and out came a purple, ghost-like pokémon. She had a round head with elaborate tufts resembling a witch's hat atop her. The tips of the tufts were paler than most of the body. She had a thin, red mouth resembling the letter 'W'. Below her head was a long neck with a round lump midway. Three, elliptical spheres surrounded the upper portion of her body and there were extensions on the sides of her lower body with the foremost one tattered compared to the rear ones, making it look like a cloak. The Mismagius gave a shrill cry upon entering the battlefield. Ash, Leaf and Ritchie once again consulted their pokedexes to properly identify the pokémon.

" **Mismagius, the magical pokémon, is a ghost type pokémon,** " the three pokedexes informed in unison. " **Its cries sound like incantations to torment the foe. It appears when you least expect it to. This Mismagius is a female.** "

"Druddigon finish this," Ellen said in a bored voice. A large, blue draconic pokémon with medium-sized wings shaped like thistle leaves appeared on the ground. His bright red head seemed to be very prickly and rough. He had a set of glaring, ferocious eyes. His arms were longer than his legs, giving the pokémon a hunchback appearance. The pokémon also had a thick, moderately-sized tail and sharp claws on both hands and feet. He also had tall, conical, red spike on his arms, shoulders, legs and tail. The pokémon slammed his tail on the ground, making the earth rumble slightly from the impact. The draconic pokémon towered over Mismagius, intimidating her.

"What's that pokémon?" Misty asked. "I know that Mismagius is a Sinnoh native, but I've never seen that pokémon before!"

"Maybe our pokedexes will know," Ash said as he opened his pokedex again.

However, the pokedex itself had no information on the pokémon except for his name, species and type. " **Druddigon, the cave pokémon, is a dragon type pokémon,** " was all the pokedex said. " **No more available information on this pokémon. Pokedex programmed with information only on pokémon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn and Sinnoh. Please upgrade your pokedex to learn more about pokémon from other regions.** "

Ash blinked in confusion. "Wha-What?" he said, shaking his head. "Why didn't the professor give us the entire thing?"

"It's so scary," Leaf said, shivering slightly in fear.

"Don't worry, Leaf," Ash replied reassuringly, putting a hand over her shoulder. "If that pokémon ever attacks you, I'll be there to protect everyone!" He punched the air.

Leaf blushed and giggled. "You're so funny, Ash," she said. _…And so adorable, too_ , she thought to herself.

"Guys, can we focus on the match?" Ritchie pleaded.

"Mismagius, use Confuse Ray!" Kamal commanded.

"Outrage," Ellen uttered before her lips curled into a smirk.

Kamal cringed once he heard Ellen's command. Mismagius' eyes glowed purple and stared directly into Druddigon's eyes, confusing him as he stumbled around the battlefield. Druddigon's eyes then glowed and his body was outlined with a red aura. With a loud roar, Druddigon went on a rampage, slamming Mismagius with everything he could – tail, arms, head and legs. Mismagius shrieked in pain as the dragon smashed and thrashed her ectoplasmic skin with his tail, claws and arms, knocking Mismagius hard to the ground.

Ellen then took out something from her backpack and then turned to look at her pokémon. "Druddigon, take this." She hurled a round, green berry at Druddigon who, even though he was confused, gobbled up the berry as soon as he caught it.

"So she Druddigon a Lum berry," Ritchie observed.

"A Lum berry?" asked Ash.

"A Lum berry cures any problem a pokémon faces," Misty explained, "such as being poisoned, burned, paralysed, etcetera."

"So, in this case, Druddigon isn't confused anymore," Leaf added.

"Mismagius, use Icy Wind!" Kamal called out, Mismagius blowing a strong wind with sparkling blue snow that headed towards Druddigon, freezing part of his arm.

"Druddigon, Dark Pulse Split."

In a second, Druddigon put his hands together and formed a ball of black and purple energy. Druddigon then pushed his hands out, releasing a black beam that split into several, smaller beams that travelled towards Mismagius and struck her, imbedding her body with dark thoughts. The next second, Mismagius tumbled to the ground, out cold.

"Did you see that technique?" Ash asked in awe. "Druddigon just—He just spilt that Dark Pulse!"

Leaf nodded slowly. "That's…amazing…!"

"That Druddi-whatever must be very experienced," Misty observed. "A pokémon can't simply be able to split an attack like that."

"Kamal's Mismagius is unable to battle! Therefore this round and the battle go to Ellen and her Druddigon!

"For winning this Club Battle tournament, Ellen Martinez will receive ten TMs of her own choice, as well as a month's supply of vitamins!" The crowd roared in approval. "This is it, everybody! Make sure to register for the next Club Battle tournament, which is going to be held the day-after-tomorrow!" he announced.

Right then, Ritchie got up and adjusted his cap. "Excuse me guys, but I have some training to go back to." He walked away from the group, and so did the remaining three after a few minutes.

* * *

An hour had passed since the finals of the Battle Club tournament had taken place. Ash had roamed the Club even further, marvelling at the numerous facilities he could lay his eyes upon. He saw water types swimming, pokémon working out on treadmills and others like Mankey and Machop lift heavy weights or clout punching bags to increase their muscle strength. He couldn't wait to get started.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Don George asked rhetorically, a wide smile on his face. "You can train almost any pokémon here, except for some legendary pokémon of course." He chuckled. "Now then – why don't you show me all of your pokémon so that we can go about setting them on the proper equipment, eh?"

Ash nodded, and so did Leaf. "I think I'll train my pokémon too. Hmm," Misty said. The three took out their pokéballs and tossed them in the air, releasing out the pokémon contained inside – Lateralus, Amethyst, Pikachu (who still had a scowl on his face), Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Venus, Raticate, Weedle, Staryu and Goldeen. The several pokémon looked at their trainers intently while Goldeen simply flailed on the ground due to her inability to swim. Misty then cradled the goldfish pokémon in her arms to stop her flailing.

"Wow, I never thought that you had a Goldeen, Misty," Ash said.

"Quite a variety of pokémon you have there," Don George said as he marvelled at the pokémon, taking a longer time to look at the Porygon in front of him. "For now, I would suggest a warmup for each of them so that they can later go on to the harder stuff. Misty, you should take your pokémon straight to one of the swimming pools in the Club. Ash, you can make your Sableye and Pikachu do some jogging on the treadmills to build up their endurance and stamina. Make your Porygon shoot moving targets in room seven, since these pokémon are meant mostly for their special moves, while your Pidgeotto and Butterfree can have some aerial training to increase their speed. Leaf, I suggest that you take your Bulbasaur and Raticate on the treadmills too, but I don't think much can be done for Weedle."

Ash and the other two nodded. The boy turned to his pokémon by kneeling down to look at them at eye level. "Hey guys, we're going to do some special training here to strengthen you up. It's nothing harmful, but you'll be stronger than before!" he said with a grin. "Lateralus, why don't you follow Don George to room number seven? You can practice Ice Beam or Psybeam on moving targets. Pidgeotto and Butterfree, you guys follow me to your training spot, alright?" His pokémon nodded. "Amethyst and Pikachu – I need you guys to do some light jogging on those treadmills over there with Venus and Raticate." Amethyst nodded with a smile, while Pikachu simply yawned and rolled his eyes. Ash frowned. "And Amethyst, make sure Pikachu doesn't cause some trouble, okay?" Amethyst nodded once more and his pokémon went off to carry out their respective training.

"This place is really cool," Misty whispered in Ash's ears before she ran off to a swimming pool.

"C'mon Ash, follow me," Don George said, gaining the trainer's attention. He promptly nodded and took a step before turning to look at Leaf.

"Hey Leaf," he said, "Aren't you coming?"

Leaf shook her head as she went on to caress Weedle, careful not to the sharp and poisonous stinger on Weedle's forehead even though she had withdrawn all the poison from it. "I'm staying back to look after Venus and Raticate. I don't want them to get into any trouble with Pikachu, who's ever ready for a fight." She rolled her eyes when she saw Pikachu's fists curl and his cheeks crackle with electricity, threatening to electrocute the girl.

"Oh, alright." Ash gave a sigh of relief once he knew that there would be someone watching over the disobedient rodent, especially when it was Leaf. Pikachu had a soft spot for the chestnut-haired girl, who was exceptionally sweet to him. The mouse pokémon would only jokingly threaten her with sparking cheeks and balled-up fists, but he would never hurt Leaf.

Ash then followed the head of the facility, who took him to a room where a collection of hoops were hanging from the high ceiling, all in different sizes to accommodate for each of the flying creatures that practiced their flight in the room. The room connected to the outdoors, but there were fences placed that made it a large space. On the ground were several light gates present.

"The purpose of this course is very simple," Don George explained. "Your pokémon will fly through those hoops and increase the precision of their flight. The smaller the hoop the more accurate your pokémon has to be, although I don't think Pidgeotto or Butterfree will fit into hoops as small as those ones!" A chuckle followed the words that he spoke.

Ash managed the grin and took out his pokéballs, sending out Pidgeotto and Butterfree out in the Battle Club for the second time. The two aerial pokémon took in their surroundings while they saw a trainer's Spearow tuck in her wings and fly through a small, green hoop and several other Pidgey do the same. It was then that the two pokémon understood what they had to do and they soon took to the air, zooming past hoops with incredible speed.

"And outside, there are light gates," Don George said. "These light gates tell you the time your pokémon take to fly a certain distance, and the distance between each light gate can be up to only forty metres. The record for the lowest time taken for forty metres is twelve point two seconds, rounded off," he said, whispering the last sentence.

Ash smiled. He would finally be able to compete amongst high levelled trainers by training his pokémon in other Battle Clubs. That didn't mean that he underestimated his pokémon – he had just thought that a few weeks of half-hearted training would be enough, but it wasn't. He had to focus harder and train his pokémon to major in their fields.

He could only wait for the outcome.

* * *

The group had spent two days in the Battle Club itself, which surprisingly had dorms for people with Trainer Cards. Amethyst had moved away from the treadmills to punching bags when she had ran enough, mastering Brick Break and thrashing almost every pokémon sent at her in practice battles. Butterfree and Pidgeotto were almost unnoticeable with their blinding speed. Lateralus was capable of hitting fast-moving targets, even managing to hit Pidgeotto a few times when she was used at a target for the Porygon. Surprisingly, Pikachu himself had started to work out in the Battle Club, but he cause a lot of mayhem when he Thunderbolt-ed a Machop who politely asked to use the treadmill Pikachu was running on for some time.

At the end of the first day, Ash had quickly registered for the upcoming Club Battle tournament along with Leaf and Misty. Thirteen other trainers had taken part, making a total of sixteen. With Ash's slow calculations, he finally figured out that there would be four rounds in the entire tournament.

"Butterfree, use Energy Ball!" Ash commanded, the Butterfree bringing his arms together to form a green, glowing orb. Butterfree then launched the orb at his opponent – Amethyst – who simply teleported right in front of the orb and shot two black beams from her eyes.

Ash wiped a sweat from his forehead as the battle continued, the rays of sunlight striking his skin and making him sweat madly. He looked at the time before calling off the battle and making his way to the Pokémon Centre, which was not far from the Battle Club itself.

Ash read a few tabloids while his pokémon were being nursed back to health by Nurse Joy and her group of Chansey and Blissey. He continued to read the interview with Dragon Master Lance for the umpteenth time before Nurse Joy called out his name to collect his pokémon.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Ash said as he took back his pokémon and immediately released his Sableye, grinning at him before teleporting onto his shoulder.

Ash walked out of the Pokémon Centre, Amethyst hanging onto his shoulder. Adrenaline rushed through his blood at the thought of winning the Club Battle tournament, something that he thought would be impossible on the first try. Nevertheless, he would do everything he could to get that title and flash it in front of Gary.

He hadn't realised that he had already reached the Battle Club with all the dreamy thoughts running through his mind. Unknowingly he slammed into the door, making a few pedestrian giggled as his cheeks flamed in embarrassment. He entered the Club and walked straight to the battlefield, where the crowd was already present, and so were the other participants.

"Where were you?" Misty hissed. "You're late!"

"Last minute training" was all that came out of Ash's mouth before he turned to look at Don George, who was standing right in the middle of the field with a mic in hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" called out Don George. "Welcome to the Pewter City Club Battle tournament!" The crowd roared in approval. "My name is Don George and I will be commentating for this tournament, and with me is none other than Brock, the Gym Leader of Pewter City!"

Ash rolled his eyes as he saw the spikey-haired gym leader walking out a tunnel as he waved his hand, the crowd cheering loudly.

"Thank you!" Brock said. "It's a pleasure to be here and observe some new talent coming through."

"Today's tournament will have sixteen trainers facing off each other in four rounds," Don George explained. "The winner of this tournament will receive two packs of Rare Candies!"

Ash's eyes widened at this. Rare Candies were, as their names suggested, were extremely rare to find in the market. Rumour had it that the Silph Co had the whole stock of Rare Candies. Rare Candies were like Vitamins, but much better – they would raise your pokémon's experience. Many people thought of them to be steroids and dangerous, but there were no side-effects pokémon faced.

"Now, if you would like to direct your attention to the screen above us, the matchups for the first round are about to be announced."

Ash looked a bit up to see a large screen behind Don George, lighting up to show the matchups. Sixteen cards shuffled about the screen until they all stopped at once, forming eight pairs. The cards then unfolded and Ash scanned to see his face.

"The first match for our tournament will be between Trainers Ash Ketchum and Lewis Clearwater," Don George said. Ash turned and looked at the real Lewis, a boy about his age with shaggy, brown hair and hazel eyes.

"The second match will be between Trainers Bruce Fitzherbert and Charles…"

Ash drifted off into his daydreams as the battles were being called out, too boring to be heard. He should have learnt more about his opponent in the computers in the Club, but he didn't have to worry about that now. All he had to worry about was winning this thing.

"…And our last battle of the first round will be between Trainers Ritchie Hiroshi and Leaf Rose!" Don George completed. Ash saw Ritchie's and Leaf's eyes meet; each of them was ready to beat each other.

"Now, will the first two trainers make their way to the battlefield?" Brock asked. Ash instinctively nodded and he walked onto the field along with Lewis, each standing in their trainer boxes.

Once they were in position, a referee came out and announced, "This battle is about to begin. Each trainer is allowed to use only one pokémon and there is no time limit. Will both trainers please send out the pokémon that they wish to battle with?"

Ash took out a pokeball and threw it on the ground. The pokeball bounced and snapped open, releasing a beam of light. "Lateralus, go!" The Porygon materialised on the floor and mechanically cried out its name.

Lewis smiled. "Mankey, go!" he yelled, a furry monkey-like pokémon flipping in the air before she landed on the ground.

"So Ash has chosen to go for Porygon while Lewis has gone for Mankey," Don George said.

"Mankey has a type advantage over Porygon, though," Brock observed.

"Begin!" the referee declared.

"Lateralus, freeze her legs!" Ash commanded. Lateralus shot a powerful beam of frost that quickly froze the Mankey's legs, disabling her from moving.

"Wha— Mankey, use Karate Chop and break the ice!" Lewis ordered.

"Psybeam, Lateralus." The Porygon nodded and fired a multi-coloured beam at Mankey, striking her on her face and making her topple over. The pig monkey pokémon cried out in pain as the ice surrounding her legs broke, setting her free.

"Looks like type advantage is not all, eh Brock?" asked Don George.

"If Mankey takes another Psybeam, its game over for her and Lewis," Brock said.

"Mankey, finish this off with Karate Chop, and quickly!" Lewis ordered as he panicked.

"Use Conversion 2 and then Psybeam," Ash calmly said.

The Porygon glowed momentarily as Mankey ran forward, fist raised. The glow then stopped and the side of Mankey's opened fist struck Lateralus' body, but it hardly felt any pain. Lateralus gave the hint of a smirk as it unleased a multi-coloured beam its eyes, striking Mankey between her eyes hard, making her fall hard on her back.

"Mankey, get up!" Lewis said, biting his nails. Mankey twitched for a second before she stopped moving and started to pant heavily. "Mankey, you can't be out so quickly!"

"I won." Ash grinned.

"Since Mankey is knocked out, the battle goes to Trainer Ash and his Porygon!" the referee announced.

Don George blinked. "Well that was a quick win."

Brock smiled. "Yes, it certainly is…"

"Good job, Lateralus!" Ash commended. "You're certainly getting stronger!" Ash walked out of the field as Lewis continued to wail further, still disappointed about his loss.

* * *

And that was a wonderful performance in the first round of this battle tournament!" Don George exclaimed, the crowd applauding as he completed his words. "The next round will take place at three o'clock, which is half an hour from now. Hold on to your seats, people! The battles are going to get even more intense now!" Don George said before he left.

The matches had been over very quick, except for the last battle, which was very intense. Although Leaf and Venus had lost in the end, the Bulbasaur had battled very hard and almost knocked out Ritchie's Charmander, Zippo. A fiery Ember had surprisingly turned into Flame Burst when Zippo's Blaze had been activated, turning the tables and getting the match in Ritchie's favour.

Misty had gotten off very well too, her Staryu knocking out a Tentacool with a powerful Rapid Spin. The group was now sitting in the cafeteria, sipping up smoothies as they continued to talk.

"Man, I hope I win this," Ritchie said. "I can't wait to get my hands on those Rare Candies!"

"Yeah, you'll have to wait for forever to get your hands on them," Ash commented while the girls snickered.

Ritchie scowled. "You just wait, Ash—"

"Can the remaining participants of today's Club Battle tournament please assemble at the main stadium," said the unmistakable voice of Don George from the speakers.

Ash quickly drained down the rest of his smoothie and rose from his seat. "Guess we gotta go," he said, running off. Ritchie and the rest immediately got up and chased after him.

After fifteen minutes of pep talks from Don George, Ash finally got the chance to see his next opponent – a girl name Clarisse, whose long and wavy blonde hair covered her left eye. Ash's match was going to be first again. The two trainers assembled on the field and took out their pokéballs.

"Butterfree, go!" Ash called out, the purple butterfly soaring in the air once he burst out of his pokeball.

"Shellder, go!" Clarisse said, tossing the sphere in the air which sent forth a bivalve pokémon with his tongue stuck out.

Ash flipped open his pokedex and scanned the pokémon in front of him. " **Shellder, the bivalve pokémon, is a water type pokémon,** " the pokedex said. " **Its hard shell repels any kind of attack. It is vulnerable only when its shell is open. Clamping onto an opponent reveals its vulnerable parts, so it uses this move only as a last resort. This Shellder is a male.** "

"Begin!" the referee yelled out.

"Butterfree, use Gust!" Ash ordered.

"Shellder, use Withdraw," Clarisse ordered with a calm demeanour.

Shellder automatically closed his shell shut as Butterfree toughly flapped his wings, creating powerful gusts that struck Shellder in an attempt to send him flying. However, Shellder only moved a few inches away from his spot, his heavy shell too heavy to lift.

"Okay then. Butterfree, use Supersonic!" Ash called out.

"Use your own Supersonic, Shellder," Clarisse said calmly.

The two pokémon shrieked out in high pitches, creating visible sound waves in the air that travelled to their opponents. The sound waves crashed into each other, reverberating through the air and foiling their effects.

Ash soon made a mental note to finish off Shellder as quickly as he could, or else his Supersonic attack could deal a lot to Butterfree. These high pitched screeches were too high for humans to hear, although they could hear a faint noise of it. These sound waves would then disrupt their mental stability for quite some time and send the creatures into what seemed like hell, for them at least.

The intensity of these confusion-inducing moves would vary from type to type. Psychic types were particularly vulnerable, thanks to their increased vulnerability to ghost techniques and their increased fragile state of mind.

"Butterfree, use Energy Ball!" Ash ordered, although Butterfree had already started off with his newly taught technique. The bug type launched a green sphere of energy at Shellder, who instinctively shut his shell and reduced the damage he would've dealt with if his shell was simply kept open.

Clarisse pursed her lips and gritted her teeth. "Okay, Shellder, we gotta put her down this instant!" she said. "Cripple her with Icicle Spear!"

 _Oh, shit._ "Butterfree, use Whirlwind and throw those icy spears back!" Ash ordered in a panicked state while Shellder shot a thin, conical and short spear of ice that soared over towards Butterfree, heading for his wings. Butterfree swiftly and toughly flapped his wings; the winds stopped the pointed ice midway through its journey, the icy spear falling to the ground and simply crumble to millions of crystals of ice.

"Keep them up, Shellder!" Clarisse said with a sadistic glint in her eyes. Looking at her expression she would have nothing more than pleasure to see Butterfree's wings having holes, preventing him from flying for this entire match before he would be taken to the Pokémon Centre.

The conical ice was kept being shot from Shellder like bullets being fired at a cowboy fight. "Butterfree, control them with Confusion and keep the Whirlwind up!" Ash said. Butterfree nodded and stopped a few Icicle Spears midway while the rest were slowly stopped and plummeted to the ground. Shellder kept firing more and more spears of ice, determined to pin Butterfree to the ground.

Ash cried out in horror as he saw a few spears make their way to Butterfree's wings, piercing them and forming holes, blood slowly oozing out of them. Butterfree shrieked in pain as he fell to the ground with a thud, unable to fly any more.

"Shellder, Clamp."

Shellder slapped his tongue on the ground before leaping towards Butterfree, ready to clamp onto his body and induce pain to the bug type. A second later Ash's eyes widened as he saw Shellder's vulnerable parts exposed.

"Butterfree, fire multiple Energy Balls right between Shellder's shells!" ordered Ash.

Butterfree weakly nodded. He then set off to fire an Energy Ball that headed towards Shellder, who was in mid-air. Shellder's eyes widened as the Energy Ball struck his exposed and soft parts, dealing a lot of pain. The bivalve pokémon immediately fell to the ground and kept his shell open, still hurt badly from the Energy Ball.

Clarisse panicked. "What're you doing, you idiot? Close your goddamn shell!"

"Freeeeee, ButterFREEEEE!" Butterfree narrowed his compound eyes and mercilessly shot glowing, green orbs that headed towards Shellder and struck him right on his soft spot. The Shellder continued to cry out in pain until he quietened down, clear that he was knocked out.

"Shellder is unable to battle! Therefor the ultimate winner of this battle is Trainer Ash and his Butterfree!" the referee declared. The crowd cheered Ash as he walked over to his fallen pokémon and cradled him in his arms.

"You were amazing, Butterfree," Ash said with a smile. Butterfree smiled back, but weakly. "Come on; let's get you to the Pokémon Centre."

"That was quite a close battle there, wasn't it, Brock?" Don George asked.

"Yes, it truly was," Brock agreed. "But what fascinated me more than the battle was that Trainer Ash immediately walked over to his pokémon and took him directly to the Pokémon Centre!"

Don George nodded. "Yes, that's what makes a good trainer. A good trainer should always care for his pokémon." A short silence took place before Don George spoke again. "Now, our next battle will be between Trainers Misty and…"

Ash, however, hurried to the Pokémon Centre instead of waiting back there and watching Misty's battle. He ran to the unmissable building with Butterfree still in his arms. Ash barged into the Centre and carefully placed the crippled creature in his arms, Nurse Joy gasping in alarm.

"Nurse Joy, could you–"

"Don't worry, I'll take him to ward number twenty-three right away," Nurse Joy interrupted with a nod. She also took Butterfree's pokeball from Ash and called out to a Chansey, who appeared with carry-bed with her.

"Chansey, could you take Butterfree to room number twenty-three, please?" she asked, and the Chansey nodded. He immediately placed Butterfree on the bed and rolled him away to his room.

Nurse Joy turned and looked at Ash with a smile. "Don't worry; your Butterfree will be safe. We've had worse cases than this one, believe me. Why don't you come back late in the evening, and you'll have your Butterfree back, good as new?"

Ash nodded. "Thank you, Nurse Joy." He turned and sighed, relieved that his pokémon would be safe. He looked at the time and saw that it had been almost twenty minutes since he had walked out of the Battle Club. He quickly made his way back to see if Misty's battle was still going on.

Surprisingly, it was. Misty was commanding her Goldeen to continuously use Peck while her opponent – a boy with light-purple, thick hair wearing a black-and-purple jacket over a grey tee and grey pants – was commanding his Bulbasaur, who was faring quite badly, to lash Goldeen with Vine Whips. The Bulbasaur winced in pain as Goldeen's sharp horn struck his skin once again, but he retaliated by wrapping his vines around Goldeen and lifting her up in the air.

"What's going on?" Ash asked as he sat next to Leaf.

"Well, Misty was faring quite well in the start, even though she had a type disadvantage, but it seems like that Bulbasaur is picking things up," Leaf said.

"Yeah," Ritchie agreed.

"Bulbasaur, now slam that fish on the ground!" the boy commanded in a harsh tone.

"B-Bulba…!" Bulbasaur timidly said with a nod before slamming Goldeen hard on the floor and away from the small pool of water in the middle.

"Goldeen, use Horn Attack!" Misty commanded, dramatically pointing at her opponent. Goldeen nodded, jumped out of the water and jabbed Bulbasaur with her sharply pointed horn, making Bulbasaur grimace in pain.

"You idiot!" his trainer scolded, looking furious. "Don't just stand there, fight back!"

"Whoa!" Ash exclaimed softly. "Why in Arceus' name is that guy so mad at his pokémon?" Leaf and Ritchie shrugged.

"Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed!" the boy commanded. Bulbasaur immediately shot out a seed from his bulb, which latched itself onto Goldeen's body. Vines then started to sprout out of the seed and then wrapped themselves around Goldeen's body, making her squirm occasionally.

"Razor Leaf, Bulbasaur!" the trainer commanded once again, Bulbasaur shooting sharp, curved leaves that struck Goldeen's body and left cuts. Goldeen then moaned for a few seconds before she lay still in the water, knocked out.

"So that dude finally won the battle," Ritchie said. Ash nodded and then saw the boy recall Bulbasaur and walk away from the field, only to send out Bulbasaur again and give him a glare.

"What's going on?" Leaf asked, trying to look at the boy as he started to scold his pokémon.

"I don't know," Ash said dreamily as he walked towards the scene, wanting to know what was happening.

"…I can't believe that you took this much time to defeat a stupid Goldeen. What's the matter with you? I chose you because you seemed like a strong one to me, but you still have to show me some real power. You're going to have to get a lot better if you want to stay with me," he said rather harshly.

The Bulbasaur sniffled, deeply hurt, and he was on the verge of tears until Ash butted in. "Hold on. Don't be so harsh with him. Bulbasaur tried his best, didn't he?" Ash smiled at the seed pokémon, who smiled weakly back at him. "That should be good enough for you," Ash said with a smile.

The boy, instead, simply glared at him. "It would be better if you mind your own business."

"I'm just saying that pokémon do their best for their trainers, and that should be enough," Ash argued with anger in his voice.

The boy simply snorted. "You wouldn't believe it if you knew what low stats this Bulbasaur has," the boy said.

"Stats?" Ritchie asked.

They boy gave a short, barking laugh. "Are you serious? You don't know what stats are?" Ritchie shook his head. The boy then waved his hand in dismissal. "I'm outta here. Bulbasaur, return!" he said, recalling his pokémon and making his way out of the Club as he ran his hand through his purple hair.

"Don't forget, the next two rounds – the semi-finals and the finals – will be held tomorrow, starting at eleven in the morning!" said Don George from his mic as the crowd left the stands.

"Oh, don't waste your time on him," Misty said as she arrived. "Trainers like him should be ashamed of themselves!"

Ash looked at the ground. "What was his name, by the way?"

Misty snorted. "Who cares? Come on, it's going to be late. We better hurry."

* * *

 **Three cheers for the people who guess who the trainer is at the end.**

 **So Ash's pokemon have all learnt new moves, which are "coincidentally" super effective against all of Brock's pokemon. Ash has also now started to train his pokemon properly and focus on all of their strengths, but mostly on their weaknesses.**

 **I really think the first half of this chapter was boring, but I put it anyway. And the TM for Explosion is banned, because it's too dangerous since this is a more realistic outlook on pokemon, where Pidgey don't die when a Gyarados attacks them with a Hyper Beam. But it isn't going to be that gory - bugs aren't going to be that easy to squish, and their skin is going to be harder. Much harder. And there's also going to be all the other things.**

 **And now, to answer your questions:**

 _ **could Ash get a Mienfoo and will he be allowed to get other Ghost or Dark types? Since lets face it in the anime, it is a rule Ash cannot catch another Electric type. (Heck recently in the anime he had a chance to get Zapdos and didn't take it, admittedly that would be a 4th flying type and he didn't befriend it like most captures in the series that aren't region birds)**_

Ash will get another Ghost type, but you all know who it is going to be - Haunter. I guess he'll be the last, major Ghost type Ash will have on his team, but I don't know about the Dark type. Also, Ash will most probably not be getting Mienfoo, since in Kanto there will be only pokemon native to Kanto, but there will also be some pokemon that are from Johto (like Ledyba, Spinarak, Hoothoot, etc).

 _ **ash has been literally crushed by brock especially in 2vs5.**_  
 _ **Hope next ash will crush brock team with a 2vs2 fair and square (no fire, no i forfeit for leader sibling sake), and this gym will be the only one where ash lost at first try.**_  
 _ **It wouldn't be really interesting if you mostly repeat canon anime with only different pokemon (aka brock rematch interrupted by sprinkler, celurean and celadon battle interrupted by rocket, vermillon, saffron and cinnabar rematch, etc)**_

Yes, Ash has been crushed by Brock, reasons stated above. However, you can rest easy since it'll now be Ash's turn to crush someone, and it's going to be a 2v2 battle. In this fic Ash will have to actually win against a gym leader to get his badge, and he will lose a second time in Saffron but that will be the end of it. If Ash DOES lose another battle, he will have to defeat the Leader to actually get his badge.

 _ **where is team rocket? they still haven't appeared**_

JJM will not be popping up every now and then in the fic, but they'll be present when necessary.

 _ **Will Ash get a lucario?**_

Not in Kanto he won't.


	7. Rematch at the Pewter City Gym!

**Hello, everyone! Here is chapter seven, where the Club Battle tournament and the Pewter Gym re-challenge are all clubbed into one. Make sure to review!**

 ** _Note: When I talked about Misty being bashed, it was SARCASTIC. I don't hate Misty - she's a likeable character but I don't exactly love her either._**

 **And guys, please refrain from cursing in reviews, particularly to one guest reviewer - who didn't have the balls to login and write it - who used the f-bomb not once, but several times. Thanks.**

* * *

"So…What do we do now?" Leaf asked, taking the last bite from the bowl of noodles.

Ash shrugged. "We've got more than an hour before the tournament starts, and I have to get there quickly. After _that_ …I guess I'll be ready for the Pewter gym rematch."

Misty gave a silent burp. "Who's your opponent?" she asked in curiosity.

"I don't know," Ash admitted, "but I better get ready for it."

Ash took another sip from the glass of water next to him before getting up and walking to his room. The previous day was tiring for him, since all he did was train and train his pokémon. He didn't exactly expect that he would win his first tournament, but he certainly would be happy if he did. After that, he would heal his pokémon and directly head to the Pewter Gym to challenge Brock once again.

Ash took off his cap and threw it in the air, eventually hitting the window of his cabin and falling to the ground. His eyelids felt heavy and he decided that all he needed right now was a good rest for about an hour before he woke up.

* * *

"Hello, everyone!" said Don George's loud voice, echoing in the stadium. "Welcome to the semifinals and finals of the Club Battle tournament!

"Today's matches will, hopefully, be tougher and longer than the previous battles," he said with a chuckle. "And now, here are the matchups for the semifinals!"

Ash looked up and saw the large screen ahead of him shuffling four cards to randomly determine the matchups for the semifinals. This went on for around half a minute, the shuffling slowing down second by second. The cards stopped and turned to let the semifinalists find their opponents.

"And now we have our first battle between Trainers Paul and Chester!" Don George exclaimed. Ash smirked as he saw the purple-haired boy from yesterday facing off against one of the strongest trainers in this tournament. Ash himself knew that Chester and his Poliwhirl were formidable opponents and he was happy that he was not facing him. However, Paul's Bulbasaur could very well turn the tables with the type advantage.

"And our second match will be between Trainers Ash and Damian!" Don George exclaimed, and Ash turned to look for the blue-haired boy who had a sneer on his face.

Once Paul and Chester walked onto the field, the referee declared, "This will be a two-on-two pokémon battle! No substitutions are allowed and there will be no usage of items. Trainer Lewis will have the choice of first pokémon!"

Lewis tossed his great-ball in the air and said, "Go, Poliwhirl."

After a moment of deciding, Paul took out a pokeball. "Elekid, stand by for battle!" Paul shouted, throwing the pokeball in the air which snapped open and sent out a yellow, round-bodied pokémon with black stripes. His arms were bulky in proportion to his body and he had three claws instead of fingers. The pokémon had a sneer on his face and wriggled his arms before glaring at Poliwhirl.

" **Elekid, the electric pokémon, is an electric type pokémon,** " Ash's pokedex said in its monotonous voice while Ash rolled his eyes. " **It generates electricity by whirling its arms. However, it can't store the energy it makes. Elekid are considered baby pokémon since they cannot breed. This Elekid is a male.** "

Ash blinked in confusion. "Wait. Elekid is a baby pokémon?" He shook his head in disbelief. "I wonder how that Paul guy got such a rare pokémon," Ash muttered.

Ash then heard the referee yell "Begin!"

"You can have the first move," Paul said rather curtly.

Chester shrugged. "Alright then, if you want this to get over quickly. Poliwhirl, use Mud shot!"

"Elekid, dodge it with Quick Attack!" Paul ordered.

Elekid nodded and quickly disappeared, leaving a trail of white behind him. With a drastic sidestep to the right he evaded the hug blob of mud that Poliwhirl fired from the spiral on his belly which would've surely knocked out the electric type.

"Elekid, Thunder Wave!" Paul shouted quickly, Elekid firing a weak jolt of electricity from between his horns. The jolt of electricity struck Poliwhirl and sparks engulfed his body for a minute.

"Poliwhirl, you okay?" Chester asked. Poliwhirl nodded as he got up from his knees and glared at Elekid.

"And Elekid has done a great job by paralyzing Poliwhirl!" Don George exclaimed. "This may prove to be difficult for Chester and his wonderful Poliwhirl!"

"Elekid, use Shock Wave!" Paul commanded.

"Block it with Mud Shot!" Chester called out.

Elekid instantly jumped feet off the air and brought his arms forward, firing beams of blue electricity from each fist, which quickly headed towards Poliwhirl. The water type retorted by shooting another blob of mud that collided against the electricity, stopping it in its tracks as a cloud of dust took its place.

"Poliwhirl, Ice Punch that maggot!" Chester said with a wild grin.

Elekid froze on the spot as Poliwhirl miraculously leapt through the veil of dust with his fist surrounded by an icy glow. Poliwhirl immediately jabbed the surprised Elekid on his face, freezing part of it. Elekid stumbled to the ground while Poliwhirl stood on him victoriously.

"Elekid, get up!" Paul shouted.

"Keep him pinned to the ground, Poliwhirl," Chester said with a smirk. Elekid grunted as Poliwhirl pressed his foot on the electric type's body even harder, crossing his arms in arrogance.

"Elekid, Thundershock!"

Poliwhirl's eyes widened as Elekid let loose a small burst of electricity, coursing through Poliwhirl's body and electrocuting him. Poliwhirl slumped to the ground and struggled to get up as Elekid did the same.

"Poliwhirl, use Mud shot!" Chester said. Poliwhirl quickly jumped back to his feet and shot a big dribble of mud that sped towards Elekid, crashing into him, engulfing him and sticking him to the ground. The mud seemed to be very sticky and Elekid was having a hard time trying to get up.

"Now use Body Slam!" Chester called out.

"Elekid, use Shock Wave!" Paul commanded, gritting his teeth in anger. Paul scowled as his pokémon ineffectively tried to shock Poliwhirl, the electricity blocked by the mud. Poliwhirl jumped high in the air and then plummeted down, crashing into Elekid with his elbow as a strident crack echoed in Ash's ears.

Elekid groaned in agony as a rib of his cracked, eyes widening in pain. The electric type groaned softly before clonking his head against the ground and being knocked out.

"Elekid is unable to battle!" the referee declared. "Trainer Paul, please send out your next pokémon!"

"Return, Elekid!" Paul pressed the button on his pokeball and absorbed Elekid in a flash of red light, freeing him from the mud that stuck him to the ground. Paul let out a low growl before saying: "Bulbasaur, stand by for battle!"

The Bulbasaur materialized on the floor, letting out a timid cry of "Bulbasaur…!" Poliwhirl, although hurt, still managed to intimidate the Bulbasaur, even though the seed pokémon had a clear type advantage over the Poliwhirl.

"Begin!" the referee announced.

"Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed!" Paul shouted.

Bulbasaur grunted as an obsidian-black seed shot out from his bulb and soared towards Poliwhirl. Vines then began to sprout from the seed and wrapped Poliwhirl. The vines grew tighter every time the water type struggled against them.

"Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!"

Two vines immediately sprouted from underneath the green bulb and swiftly lashed Poliwhirl, making him wince in pain.

Chester panicked, but he then smirked. "Poliwhirl…put it to sleep."

"Bulbasaur, dodge it!"

Instead, Bulbasaur simply stood in his spot and crouched as Poliwhirl intensely glared at him. The tadpole pokémon's eyes then glowed a brilliant, bright blue and stared deeply into Bulbasaur's eyes as the circular pattern on his belly seemed to swirl too. The grass type's eyelid fell heavy until his finally closed his eyes, fast asleep.

Paul clenched his fist. "Get up, you moron!" he growled.

"Poliwhirl, finish it with a dual Ice Punch!" Chester commanded.

A second later, both of Poliwhirl's fists glowed blue and hi then punched Bulbasaur, freezing the bulb on his body and part of his face. Bulbasaur unconsciously flinched before moaning – he was out cold…pun not intended.

"Bulbasaur is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Therefore the winner of this battle is Chester and his Poliwhirl!"

Paul scowled. "Return, you weak creature!" he shouted, recalling the knocked out Bulbasaur. The purple-haired trainer then disrespectfully stormed out of the stadium without congratulating his opponent.

Don George then came on the field with a mic in hand. "Well, that was a quick match!" The crowd laughed. "So, it seems that Chester will be advancing to the finals! Our next battle will be between Trainers Damien and Ash!"

Ash smiled as he walked onto the field and took his position, facing the blue-haired boy in front of him. He was a few years elder to him and seemed pretty experienced – the sneer on his face clearly showed his arrogance as a trainer.

The referee waited for a few moments and then raised a flag, yelling, "We will have the same rules as the previous match." The two trainers nodded, with Damien doing it rather curtly. "Begin!"

"Weepinbell, go!" Damien called, sending forth a yellow, bell-shaped pokémon with a large leaf on each side of her body. She had a wide, gaping mouth with pink lips and large eyes that made her look oblivious of everything. The pokémon hopped in her spot while Ash simply looked at her in confusion.

"Weepinbell…?" he said, flipping open his pokedex and scanning the weird pokémon.

" **Weepinbell,** " the pokedex said, " **the flycatcher pokémon, is a dual grass and poison type pokémon. Weepinbell has a large hook on its rear end. At night, this pokémon hooks onto a tree branch and goes to sleep. This pokémon douses unwary prey with Poison Powder and then finishes them off with Acid. This Weepinbell is a female.** "

"Okay Lateralus, I choose you!" Ash called out, the polygonal creature bursting out and floating a few inches off the ground.

"Begin!" the referee called out.

Ash immediately called out: "Ice Beam!" Lateralus fired a thick sheet of ice that quickly froze Weepinbell's left leaf, the grass type struggling to break free from the ice.

"Weepinbell, use Growth!" Damien ordered.

Weepinbell's body was outlined in orange as her body grew to a fairly bigger size. The ice coating her leaf broke due to the sheer size of the leaf now.

"Weepinbell, use Acid!" the blue-haired trainer called out.

Weepinbell jumped in the air and sprayed thick, purple acid that streamed towards the Porygon, threatening to poison the artificially created pokémon. Lateralus simply fired a Psybeam which obliterated the poison.

"Lateralus, use Psybeam!" Ash called out, Lateralus shooting a multicolored beam from its eyes that struck Weepinbell head-on.

Weepinbell let out a low shriek in pain, stunned by the Psybeam she had just received. Lateralus took advantage of this and quickly attacked Weepinbell with another Psybeam.

"What the hell are you doing?" Damien yelled. "Now use Wrap!"

Weepinbell shrugged off her pain and then glared at Lateralus. The hook on top of her body then lengthened and shot towards Lateralus, wrapping around it and limiting its movements.

Ash grinned. _Lateralus still can use its special moves, though,_ he thought. "Lateralus, use Psybeam!"

Lateralus struggled to nod, and then fired a colorful beam that hit Weepinbell in the face, blinding her. Weepinbell let loose of her vine and set Lateralus free from her grip. Ash smiled at the fact that Weepinbell couldn't even hurt his Porygon by squeezing it.

"Now finish it off with Tackle!" Ash ordered. Lateralus nodded at that, charged at Weepinbell and then slammed into her with its whole body. That one attack was enough to knock Weepinbell out, and Damien recalled the flycatcher pokémon back into her pokeball.

"Grr…Charmander, go!" Damien called out, the lizard pokémon jumping on the ground as the flame on his tail flickered.

"Wait, he's got a Charmander?" Ash tilted his head in confusion before shaking it. "Never mind – Lateralus, use Psybeam!"

"Charmander, use Dragin Rage!" Damien ordered.

Charmander's flame grew to an immense size as he readied a scarlet ball of fire in his mouth, growling madly. Charmander then launched the ball of flames at Lateralus.

"Lateralus, dodge it!"

Lateralus whirled to the side and was nearly hit by Dragon Rage, only being scratched by the flames.

"Charmander, Ember!" Charmander opened his sharply-toothed mouth and shot several, cracking embers that sped towards Lateralus. The embers scorched the Porygon, making the cyber creature wince in pain.

"Now finish it off with Fire Fang!" Damien called out, a sadistic glint in his eyes.

"Lateralus, dodge it!" Ash said.

"Oh no, you don't! Stop it with Scary Face!" Damien countered.

Charmander's eyes immediately glowed red, glaring at Lateralus but with a weird grin. A large illusion of his face then appeared and fired it at his opponent, scaring it and making Lateralus unable to move.

Ash cursed as he saw Charmander's hot and fiery teeth sink into the virtual pokémon's body, making it make a mechanical sound in pain. Charmander dug his teeth deeper until Lateralus passed out. Lateralus slumped to the ground and closed its eyes in defeat.

"Return, Lateralus!" Ash said, absorbing it back into its pokeball. "You did great, Lateralus. Now get some rest," he said to the pokeball with a smile. He then clipped it to his belt and took out another. "Pidgeotto, go!"

"Begin!" Ash heard the referee say.

"Use Quick Attack!" ordered Ash, the avian flying speedily towards Charmander with a trail of white light behind her and then slamming into the fire type.

"Now use Gust!" Ash added with a grin. Pidgeotto strongly flapped her wings and struck Charmander with powerful winds, making him fly a few feet into the air before he crashed on the ground.

"Charmander, use Smokescreen!" Damien said. Charmander released thick, black smoke from his mouth that covered the battlefield, making it hard for Ash and everyone else to see anything going on.

"Pidgeotto, use Whirlwind and blow it away!" Pidgeotto flapped her wings again and blew the smoke away, making the field visible once more.

But the bird pokémon shrieked in pain as Charmander's fangs dug into her wing, Pidgeotto plummeting down due to her lack of flight.

Pidgeotto crashed into the ground, a few feathers knocked out of her left wings. Part of her wing was scorched and her feather singed from the Fire Fang. She could get up to her knees, but her wing was still weak.

"Pidgeotto, can you manage a Steel Wing, but only with your right wing?" Ash asked, and Pidgeotto nodded. She didn't have to be asked to perform it – her right wing glowed silver and hardened into metal as she ran towards Charmander, smacking him with her wing repeatedly.

"Awesome! Now use Wing Attack!" Ash said with a grin.

Charmander cringed in pain, a little less this time, as the glow on Pidgeotto's wing disappeared and it softened. Pidgeotto then gave Charmander an uppercut with her wing, the lizard soaring a foot off the ground before diving down.

"Charmander, get up and use Scratch!" Damien called out. Charmander winced in pain from the previous attack before grunting, getting up and scratching Pidgeotto's torso with his claws.

"Now use Dragin Rage!" Damien shouted.

Charmander let out a loud growl as the flame on his tail grew, forming a ball of fire in his mouth that too grew to a fairly huge size. Charmander then pushed his head forward, launching the sphere of flames at Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto took the brunt from the attack and flew back, slamming into the ground. The flying type struggled to get up for a while before she slumped down in defeat.

"…And Pidgeotto is unable to battle! Therefore the ultimate winner of this match is Damien and his pokémon!" the referee said, raising a flag that was towards Damien.

Damien smirked and recalled Charmander into his pokeball, stepping down from his trainer box without even shaking hands with Ash. Ash simply shrugged it off and recalled Pidgeotto and smiled at her pokeball.

"You did great, Pidgeotto!" Ash said with a smile. "Now let's get you to the Pokémon Centre."

"Those were two tremendous battles from our participants!" Don George exclaimed, and the crowd cheered. "And now, for the finals, we have Trainers Chester and Damien! Hold onto your seats, folks! This is going to be one tough battle!"

* * *

"Now, Poliwhirl – Water Gun!" Chester exclaimed.

The tadpole pokémon leapt into the air and sprayed a forceful jet of water that blasted Charmander to the wall. Charmander struck the wall and then groaned before he fell to the ground.

"Charmander is unable to battle!" the referee declared. "Poliwhirl wins! The winner of this match is Trainer Chester!"

Ash smiled at the winning trainer as he walked up the stage and collected his prize – Rare Candies. Although he was happy for Chester, he felt dejected at his loss. Nevertheless, he walked out of the Battle Club and made his way to the Pokémon Centre, with Misty and Leaf following him.

"…And I can't believe that his Poliwhirl managed to defeat all three of Damien's pokémon!" Misty exclaimed; Ash rolled his eyes as she continued to talk about the overpowered Poliwhirl, considering that she simply adored water types and wouldn't waste the chance of talking about them. "I mean, he just knocked out Weepinbell with one Ice Punch…!"

"…And don't you ever back down again!" a voice growled. Ash walked ahead, intrigued by the voice, and saw, from afar, Damien scolding his pokémon. There was Weepinbell, Charmander and his Golduck, all looking down at the ground in disappointment.

"I expect better from you three, or else, you'll end up in the wild!" Damien roared. He then recalled his three pokémon and walked away, fuming.

Ash shrugged – some people could never change.

* * *

"I'm here to battle you for the Boulder Badge," Ash said as he looked up at Brock. Brock nodded, looking at Ash straight in the eye. Brock walked to his trainer box and Ash did the same, pulling out a pokeball.

"It will be a two-on-two battle, wherein you can switch pokémon. Are the rules alright?" Brock asked.

Ash frowned, but accepted it nevertheless. He was at a minor disadvantage now that he could only use two pokémon, but he had gotten stronger. Nothing would stop him from taking the Boulder Badge.

"Geodude, go!" Brock called out, the boulder with two arms appearing on the field with his usual scowl.

"Amethyst, go!" Ash said. The Sableye materialized on the floor and grinned at Geodude, who simply replied with a growl.

Forrest walked up to his spot, a flag in each hand. "Begin!" he declared.

"Amethyst, use Leer!" Ash ordered, Amethyst's eyes glowing red as she glared at Geodude, intimidating him and making him lose some energy.

"Geodude, use Rollout!" Brock commanded, and the sturdy rock began hurtling towards Amethyst, rapidly gaining speed.

Ash grinned before calling out, "Brick Break!" Brock's eyes widened in horror as he realized Geodude was en route to meeting Amethyst's fists, now glowing tremendously. When Geodude finally met Amethyst's fists, there was a loud crack before the armed rock was sent flying back towards Brock, unconscious.

The rock-type expert gave Ash an impressed grin. _This kid has grown so much in few days…_ "Well done. Not many have taken Geodude out in one hit… But not many have taken out _Onix_ in one hit!"

Before Ash could respond, a brilliant glow was emitted, dying down to expose the magnificent rock snake that let out a deafening roar that made Ash cover his ears.

By now, Ash knew that Onix's weak point were the rocks that he rested on. If he could strike the serpentine pokémon there, then it would be easy to defeat Brock.

"Amethyst, Leer!" Ash knew that Amethyst couldn't win this round, but he had to weaken Onix enough for his other pokémon to knock him out.

"You can lower Onix's defenses all you want; Onix is too powerful for you!" Brock laughed before ordering a Tackle. Amethyst swerved to her side, not avoiding the full brunt of the attack, but it didn't matter, since normal type attacks didn't affect Amethyst's ghost typing. Onix's tail scraped her body and pinned her to the ground.

"Teleport to the end of Onix's tail and use Brick Break!" he cried out.

"Wait, what?" Brock narrowed his eyes in confusion. As far as he knew, a Sableye couldn't learn Teleport, not naturally or by breeding. Meanwhile, Amethyst vanished and the appeared near the rocks Onix rested on. Brock blanched as Onix stood no chance at dodging and roared in agony, a strident crack echoing in the gym from the swift chop Amethyst gave.

"Finish her, Onix – Iron Tail!" Brock growled, his patience worn thin. Onix's tail glowed brightly as he readied it, intimidating Amethyst to slam his tail on her.

 _There's no way Amethyst can escape tha – No, she can! Teleport!_ "Amethyst, use Teleport and get out of there, followed by Night Shade!" Ash exclaimed, grinning. "After that, use Brick Break!"

Sure enough Amethyst disappeared and Onix's tail hit only the air and then the ground, kicking up a great amount of dust. A few seconds later, a red glow was seen followed by a cry of pain. The dust cleared out and Onix was seen wriggling in pain, Amethyst teleporting all over his body and delivering swift chops.

Adrenaline rushed through his blood. "Amethyst, use Brick Break! Aim for the cracked rock on his tail!"

Amethyst nodded and teleported once more, this time to the ground while Onix screwed his eyes shut in pain. The Sableye then, sadistically, put all her strength in her fist, which was glowing brightly, as if it was the sun. She then smashed the rock with her fist, leaving Onix's mouth open as he fell to the ground, utterly defeated.

"…You win." Brock stared blankly.

A wide grin split Ash's face apart. "Amethyst, we did it! We won our first gym!" Amethyst grinned, as always, and teleported to Ash's side, hugging him while Ash did the same. "You were awesome, Amethyst!" he said as he smiled at the darkness pokémon.

"I must admit, Ash. You pulled off a great victory," Misty said with a smile.

"Ash, you were amazing!" Leaf exclaimed, stopping right in front of him. "I knew you could do it!"

Brock interrupted their impromptu celebration with a clearing of his throat. "You did a good job; both of you. And here is your Boulder Badge," Brock said as he handed over the gray, octagonal badge to Ash, who beamed at it before flashing it.

"I got the…Boulder Badge!" he exclaimed with his fingers in a 'V' form, Amethyst jumping up in celebration.

"There is a confession I have to make, Ash. The truth is I don't really want to be a Gym Trainer. My love for pokémon has instead led me to want to be a pokémon breeder," Brock said sadly.

Ash, Leaf and Misty all remembered that Flint had told them the same thing.

"Unfortunately, I have to stay here and care for my siblings, and family comes first," Brock continued while gesturing to his siblings behind him. "Ash, you are a great trainer and really care for your pokémon. If it's not too much trouble, would you help me fulfil my dream by any chance? If you come across anything valuable to the well-being of a pokémon, whether it be food, techniques, or anything, could you please let me know?"

"I will, Brock," Ash responded.

Brock smiled. "Thank you, Ash—" he said, but he was interrupted by the door opening. The group turned to see who had entered the gym, and everyone saw that it was Flint who entered, with a shameful look on his face.

"Flint? What are you doing here?" Ash asked.

Flint, instead, simply walked towards Brock. He then took off the cap covering his eyes and fake beard to reveal a man who looked a lot like Brock; the only real difference was a slightly aged face and a few grey hairs.

"My father," Brock said in shock, with a hint of disdain in his voice as his siblings gasped in surprise. They didn't remember their father much like Brock did, but could still tell it was him.

"Wait…What?! You're the good-for-nothing father who left?" Ash exclaimed in surprise.

"I am," Flint answered sadly. He then turned to Brock. "Brock, you should go and follow your dream to be a Pokémon Breeder. I will stay here and care for my family and the gym like I should have been doing. I've been a terrible father so far, but I would like to try and make up for it the best way I can. I know saying sorry won't be enough so I need to do it through my actions."

"Wait a minute. If you are Brock's father, then why were you helping me?" Ash asked.

"I already told you. I sensed something special in you. If I helped you, I felt something good might happen, and it did. I realized the error of my ways and want to be a proper father to Brock and the rest of the family," Flint answered.

"Thank you," Brock said. Turning to Ash, he said, "Hey, Ash. As I've said before, you are a great trainer, and I admire the bond you have with your pokémon. I think we can each learn a lot from each other. You wouldn't mind if I came with you on your journey, would you?"

"I don't mind at all, Brock. The more the merrier!" Ash said. "Is that okay with you guys?" he asked Leaf and Misty, who nodded.

"Thank you," Brock said gratefully.

"Thank you for giving me a chance, Brock. I won't let you or siblings down as a father any more," Flint said.

"Before I go, there are some things I have to tell you," Brock said seriously.

Flint sighed. "I understand. I imagine there are many things you need to get off your chest. I'm ready."

"Here," Brock said as he handed him a pencil and a piece of paper.

"What are these for?" Flint asked in confusion before Brock went off a huge number of special needs each of his siblings had, ranging from allergies, to dislikes of foods, to bedtimes, to favourite stories.

Flint was frantically trying to keep up with writing everything down before finally saying in frustration, "Slow down! I can't write that fast!"

* * *

 **Yes, Damien is the same guy who disowns Charmander. Go figure.**

 **My idea of including certain characters earlier is that they'll play a bigger role during Ash's journey (yes, Damien will play a bigger role which-is-not-that-big-but-it-certainly-is-big-enough). Paul too will play a significant role, being a major rival for Ash alongside Gary and those other goons.**

 **...And Ash crushes Brock with Amethyst! Hooray for him!**

 **Next is hapter eight: Trouble at Mount Moon**

 **And now to answering your questions!**

 ** _When will ash start to get annoyed with Misty._**

He won't.

 _ **can ash catch an absol**_

In Kanto? No, since they are not found in Kanto. Even if I did try to fit in an Absol it just wouldn't work out.

 _ **interesting battle clubs.**_  
 _ **but hope you will change ash brawler attitude and acting smarter with worthy knowledge.**_  
 _ **Like checking other trainer data, knowing about berries, food, stats, etc.**_

This story doesn't include a brilliantly smart Ash where his knowledge is like a professor's, but he certainly is fairly smarter than in the anime. As the story goes on, Ash will get smarter and more mature.

 _ **Will you write mewtwo strike back?**_

Yes I will.

 **And now, I'll see you guys in Mount Moon - err, the next chapter! Don't forget to review!**


	8. Trouble at Mount Moon!

**Hello, everyone, and here is chapter eight! If you couldn't get it by the title, Team Rocket appears for the first time in this fic. I can't believe I took out so many TR moments, like the Viridian City one - but that wouldn't fit in - and the one in Viridian Forest. But here it is, your beloved Team Rocket!**

 **In here, there are quite a few grunts who are working under JJM (who make an appearance), but they despise the trio. JJM turn out to be more sinister and...evil in this fic, but I will do my best to maintain their true personalities. I did my best to uphold Meowth's accent, so here goes!**

 **Speaking of accents; I don't know how many of you guys noticed it, but in the previous chapter Damien orders Charmander to use Dragon Rage, but I've written it as "Dragin Rage". Now as Xperior mentioned that it looks like a typo, it isn't. As far as I know, Damien has a different accent in the anime and I tried to preserve it in the fic. I was also going to write Charmander as 'Charminder' but I didn't.**

 **Now that's all for the long author's note. Enjoy the chapter, and review as always!**

* * *

Ash, Misty, Leaf, and their new companion Brock were walking into the Pokémon Centre in Pewter City. Before heading out, they decided to heal the pokémon that were injured during the Gym battle (which was mostly Brock's pokemon).

While on the way to the Pokémon Centre, the group learned that Brock was quite the person when it came to chores. Brock had volunteered to do most of the chores for the whole group whenever necessary. The best part was that Brock had told them that he was a great cook as well, something that Ash was looking forward to. He had already brought plenty of cooking utensils and food, which he stuffed into a backpack. With Brock wanting to do permanent chore and dinner duty, traveling on the road would be much easier from now on.

However, despite all of Brock's good qualities, they were about to discover a huge flaw in him now that they were entering the centre.

"Nurse Joy!" Brock said in delight as he ran towards her with a sheepish smile.

"Why hello, Brock. Are you here to heal your pokémon?" Nurse Joy asked pleasantly.

"I am, but I came to see you as well. Perhaps we can get together for dinner later? You are the girl of my dreams!" Brock said in a goofy voice.

"I'm sorry. I'm afraid I'm busy for the rest of the day," Nurse Joy said casually. Since Brock was a regular at this Pokémon Centre, she was used to his advances by now.

Brock got a dejected look on his face and sulked while the group came up behind him to the desk. Needless to say, they were very surprised at Brock's behaviour just now.

"Uh…Brock…? Are you okay?" Ash asked, a little uncertain.

"No…I just got rejected by them most beautiful woman in the world," Brock moaned as he curled up in the corner.

The group gave a questioning look to Nurse Joy, who mouthed the words "He's always like this" to them. She then gave a smile to let them know Brock would be fine and that there was no need to worry.

"Err, so anyway, we came here before we leave Pewter City so we can get our pokémon healed and checked out real quick," Ash stated, still in a bit of shock from Brock's personality change.

"I'd be very happy to," Nurse Joy smiled as she took the group's pokéballs and Pikachu from Ash's arms and headed to the back room with Chansey.

"Nurse Joy…!" Brock trailed sadly as he watched her go.

"Oh, get over yourself, Brock," Misty said in annoyance.

"I can't…" Brock trailed again in a dejected tone.

A few minutes later, Nurse Joy returned with a set of pokéballs in a tray. Nurse Joy set the pokéballs down and then said sweetly, "Your pokémon are in perfect condition. We hope to see you again!"

 _Why would you hope that?_ Ash wondered, but he shook his head. There were more important things to focus on, particularly the fact that they were now going to venture Mount Moon.

Mount Moon was large. It was an imposing sight even from the heart of Pewter City. The mountain had millions of deep and wide tunnels, which were exceptionally dark, and were the reason to which few light bulbs were implemented in the vast mountain.

However, the main problem wasn't the vastness of the obstruction, but rather the multitude of wild pokémon that would be encountered – Geodude, Paras, a couple of Sandshrew, but most importantly the Zubat. Zubat were exceptionally common in caves, but they were a gigantic pain in the neck because of the awful bites they used to give.

"Guys, why don't we hit the Pokémart to get some more supplies?" Ash asked. "We could make use with some repels, considering the pokémon in Mount Moon."

Brock nodded. "Yeah, we definitely should. I've been in Mount Moon a couple of times, and I've got to say I never liked the experience."

"Isn't Mount Moon supposed to have some mysterious pokémon in it?" Misty asked. "I also remember that scientist saying that there are pokémon fossils in there."

"It has both," Brock said as he nodded. "It is also said to contain the rare and legendary Moon Stone in there."

"Moon Stones?" asked Leaf, raising an eyebrow. "But Moon Stones are not that rare. You can normally find them under rocks or something," she stated.

Brock smiled. "I'm not talking about any Moon Stone. I'm talking about THE Moon Stone," he said with a smirk. "Legend has it that the Moon Stone came from space itself and landed in Mount Moon. It is said that because of the radiation from the Moon Stone that other Moon Stones, in the form of shards, are available in the wild," Brock explained.

Ash snorted. "What makes it so legendary, huh?" he asked, suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Well, I don't know exactly what, but I heard that the original Moon Stone never loses its power," Brock said. Upon seeing his companions' confused looks, he added, "You know that when you use an evolutionary stone, like a Fire Stone, its power is lost after one use, right?" The three kids nodded. "But the Moon Stone is different. It's said that it never loses its power and can be used a gazillion times," Brock said with a glint in his eyes. "Furthermore, a pokémon exposed to the Moon Stone, and can evolve by it, will be stronger in every aspect!"

Ash smirked. That was interesting. He was going to make sure that he would find the Moon Stone! That would certainly make him famous! And if he got hold of a Nidorino, he could evolve it into a super-powerful Nidoking!

"Then what're we waiting for?" he asked, grinning. "Let's go!" Ash started to walk towards Mount Moon proudly, only to find that no one was following him.

"Hey, why aren't you guys coming?" Ash asked, tilting his head in confusion.

The others deadpanned. "Weren't you the one who suggested on stocking on supplies?"

He sweat-dropped.

* * *

"…And I think that's it!" Ash exclaimed after placing his order.

The cashier nodded, and after few moments said, "That will be 3,400 pokédollars, sir."

Ash hesitated for a moment, but then paid for the vast amount of supplies nevertheless, reluctantly. He took out a wad of cash and handed it over to the cashier, who smiled greedily and snatched it, handing over a handful of green cans and purple aerosols to Ash.

Ash and his friends then went out of the Pokémart. They had decided that now wouldn't be the best time to go to Mount Moon, since it was pretty late at night and it would be a tiring journey. The journey to Mount Moon would take about five hours.

The sky had turned dark and the temperature had decreased by a few degrees due to the absence of the sun that had given the city warmth. The street lamps were shining brightly, playing their role to give light to Pewter City's grey streets. Ash, Leaf, Misty and Brock had already booked their rooms at the Pokémon Centre and were now chomping happily at the Pokémon Centre's buffet.

"I guess Mount Moon is a lot bigger than we think," Misty said as she took a bite from the fried Magikarp from her plate.

"Yes it is," Brock replied. "Thankfully, there are markers there so that travellers won't get lost."

Ash grinned. "All I want to do is get to Cerulean City as early as possible–" Misty choked on that, "–and even see that awesome Moon Stone!" he exclaimed as he took several bites from the roast Pidgey's leg, making his speech slurry. He then took an enormous gulp before saying, "So we better leave first thing in the morning! Right, Leaf?"

Leaf, on the other hand, wasn't too keen on accompanying the others on their trip through Mount Moon. Sure she wanted to get to Cerulean City as quickly as possible and capture new pokémon, but the Pewter Science Museum fascinated her, especially with the fossil exhibits. She wanted to learn as much as possible and possible write something on them, too.

"Uh, Leaf?" Leaf shook her head as Ash's voice pierced through her daydreams. What would she say to him? She didn't want to leave Ash; he was one of her best friends, after all. But it was her dream she had to follow, just like Ash wanted to follow his.

Leaf cleared her throat and the looked at everyone with a sad smile. "I'm sorry, guys, but I don't think I'll be going with you guys to Mount Moon," she said. Looking at Ash's bewildered face she added, "I'm really fascinated by the Science Museum here, so I wanted to study more about the fossils there."

"But…But…" Ash didn't have anything to say. He was surprised at Leaf's decision. A few moments later he calmed down. "Okay, Leaf – it's your choice!" He grinned.

Leaf smiled. _Ash sure is more mature than before…_ she thought. _I hope my time spent here goes well, though…_

* * *

"Wow! Mount Moon _is_ bigger than I thought," Misty exclaimed.

"WAAAAY bigger," Ash agreed.

The group was now standing in front of Mt. Moon. Because Ash decided to run to Mt. Moon from morning, they were still able to make it by the afternoon today. Ash, Misty, Brock and Amethyst stared in awe at the size of Mt. Moon. It looked big from afar, but it looked even bigger up close.

"How long will it take us to get through this place?" Misty asked.

Brock rubbed his chin in thought. "I would say that it would take at least the rest of the day if we don't stop for breaks or anything," he answered. "We should try to get through here as fast as possible. Spending the night in this place isn't a good idea," Brock added.

Ash simply continued to stare at the massive mountain in front of him, capped with snow. This was one of the obstacles a trainer had to face and endure in order to continue their journey. He was sure that Ritchie and his arrogant, snot-nosed rival, Gary, had already been through here. If they could do it, so could Ash! He could probably also catch some strong pokémon in there, too.

"Well, we aren't going to get through Mount Moon any faster if we simply stare at it," Ash remarked. "Let's go!" he yelled out as he walked straight into the cave.

As soon as the trio entered the cave they were met with a lot of noise. It sounded like millions of wings were fluttering rapidly at the same time. The group walked closer to the source of the noise and saw a horde of Zubat flying around and attacking a lone Sandshrew!

This was the first time Ash had ever seen a live Zubat. Zubat was a dark-blue, bat-like pokémon with no visible eyes and a circular mouth with small yet sharp fangs. They had a fairly round body, with thin tails ***** sprouting out from below. On their back were a pair of wings and on top of their heads were a pair of large, pointed ears that had pink insides.

The Sandshrew was currently trying to curl up into a ball to protect herself from the wild Zubat. The Zubat were mindlessly swooping down and harassing the Sandshrew but biting the Sandshrew's hard skin. They were relentless even though the mouse pokémon was showing no sign of aggression.

"Zubat…" Ash and Misty murmured while the foremost consulted his pokedex.

" **Zubat, the bat pokémon, is a poison and flying type pokémon,** " the pokedex said. " **It emits ultrasonic waves when it flies, and they act as sonar to check for objects in the way.** "

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Ash. "We need to help that Sandshrew!"

"Alright!" Misty and Brock remarked in unison.

"Amethyst, use Night Shade!" Ash ordered. He then took out a pokeball, tossed it in the air and said, "Pidgeotto, drive them away with Whirlwind!"

Amethyst immediately shot two black beams of alien energy towards the flock of Zubat, breaking them and sending some scurrying away. Pidgeotto immediately wafted up a powerful whirlwind that blew the rest away, leaving the Sandshrew alone.

However, one persistent Zubat remained and pushed through the powerful winds created by Pidgeotto and continued to attack the Sandshrew relentlessly, although tired.

"Geodude, use Mega Punch!" Brock ordered, and the rock pokémon hopped his way towards the Zubat and knocked her down with a glowing fist, delivering a powerful punch. The Zubat weakly moved her wings while she lay on the floor.

"Go, pokeball!" Brock said. The red-and-white sphere coursed towards the Zubat and bounced against her, sucking her inside. The pokeball rolled for a few seconds before it clicked.

Brock walked and then bent down, picking up the pokeball. It was then that the distressed Sandshrew fully opened his eyes and looked at Brock with gleaming eyes.

"Hello, Sandshrew," Brock greeted with a smile.

"Shrew," the Sandshrew whispered, but he continued to stare at Brock. It was his saviour! If it hadn't been for him, he would've been dead meat for the Zubat. Oh, how their fangs hurt his body! But if he had a trainer, he would be stronger and could fight with pokémon bigger than him. _What if I travel with him?_ He wondered, and then grinned. "Sandshrew, Sandshrew Sand!" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

"We've saved you from those Zubat, there's nothing to worry about," Brock said. He then got up and turned to Ash and Misty. "I think we should get a move on. I, for one, certainly don't want to spend the night in a cave."

Sandshrew then saw them walking away, and he looked at them in confusion. "Sandshrew?" he asked. It was then that it struck him – his saviour and his friends were walking away! _No, don't go! Por favor, no ir!_ ****** "Sandshrew, Sandshrew shrew sand SandSHREW!" he yelled out, but to no avail. The group was already out of sight.

His only option was to now follow them…

* * *

It didn't take long – which was an hour – for the group to figure out that Mount Moon wasn't a straight path as they hoped – it was a regular maze. There were several corridors that branched out into several different tunnels, with some ending in dead ends while the others branched out a series of their own. As they went deeper in the maze, it got warmer and warmer, shunning out the cold temperature before. The ceiling was pretty low for them and Brock had to crouch in one passageway to get through it.

The worst part was that they had hardly encountered a single battle, save for some measly Geodude and a few Paras, meaning that Ash was bummed out because of this since his pokémon weren't getting any experience. Amethyst simply adored the cave; she got to munch on all the dirt and rocks she could find, even coming across a gemstone which she quickly gobbled down without showing it to the group.

Still, something seemed odd about the tunnels. They hadn't encountered a single trainer or a single pokémon after a certain point, with the foremost not being present at all, despite the fact that Mount Moon was commonly used by newbie trainers who were planning to get to Cerulean or Pewter City. It put Ash on edge, although neither Misty nor Brock seemed to notice anything.

After reaching another dead-end, Ash asked Brock, "Hey, Brock, do you have a map of Mount Moon by any chance?"

"No," Brock replied.

"Then why don't you use your Onix?"

Brock snorted. "Well, let's just say that Onix simply won't fit in here. But," he said as he pulled out a pokeball, "I have the perfect solution. Zubat, go!" he called out, the bat pokémon immediately taking to the air once she came out of the pokeball.

Brock smiled. "Since Zubat lives in this cave, she probably knows the way out, too." He turned to his hovering pokémon. "Hey, Zubat, will you show us the way out?" Brock asked.

Zubat cried out in confirmation and began to fly ahead of the group. Despite the number of lights attached to the ceiling of the tunnels, Zubat continued to push through and seemed to be quite the navigator. The group would come to a fork in the pathways, but Zubat would always lead them to the correct path. The group of three –

"We're five people!" Ash yelled out to no one. "Don't forget Amethyst and Zubat!"

Oh, sorry. The group of _five_ believed that they would get through Mount Moon after all.

But right then, Ash stopped in his tracks. He looked around nervously, furrowing his brow while Misty and Brock looked at him.

"What's wrong, Ash?" Misty asked, afraid if there were any bugs that were going to get her.

Ash shook his head. "I…I heard voices."

Misty shrugged. "Well, of course you can. It's not like any place is restricted, right?" she said. "I guess it's another group of trainers travelling."

Ash accepted this answer and the group continued walking, with Zubat being their guide. They turned left and right and walked farther until they collectively heard voices again, but this time clearly. They walked closer until they saw a group of people wearing pitch black clothes with a crimson coloured 'R' on the middle of their T-shirts. They had two fossils next to two people – they both wore white clothes instead of black but they still had the 'R' on their tops – while the others seemed to be bringing down hatchets on the ground.

"I can't believe it was that easy to steal these fossils," a male voice said.

"I know, right? Those stupid security guards didn't even realise it happened until the next morning! The boss is going to very pleased," a female voice agreed.

Ash gulped. These people seemed to be up to no good.

"Ya, da boss will be very happy dat we got these fossils! Team Rocket will prosper!" another voice said, but this one sounded funny.

"Hey, you three!" the female voice shouted, startling Ash. "Dig faster so that we can get that bloody Moon Stone!"

"Yes, boss," three different voices grumbled in unison, clearly not happy as he continued to dig the ground.

"We should go and report them to the police," Ash whispered to the rest of the group. Brock and Misty nodded, but a moment later Misty paled.

"Hey, Misty?" asked Ash. "What happened?" Brock nodded in agreement.

"The-There…" was all she said as she pointed behind Ash and Brock.

Ash and Brock turned behind and they too paled. Standing behind them, with smirks, were two people with the same uniform as the people they just saw. "Well, well, what do we have here?"

Brock had a shivered running down his spine. He immediately took a step back and exclaimed, "I-I didn't see anything! I'm outta here!" Brock then fled from the scene and away from the group, his Zubat flying after him.

"Hey!" Misty yelled. "Where d'you think you're going?!"

"So much for being a gym leader…" Ash muttered.

The man snorted. "Now that he's gone from here, what're you kids doing here?"

"Leyeeeee," Amethyst growled while exposing her claws.

"Uh, we just got lost, heheheh," Ash lied nervously while rubbing the back of his neck. Misty did the same, but it didn't convince the man and the other man next to him.

"Liars!" he yelled accusingly.

"It doesn't matter now that you've seen Team Rocket's schemes. We can't let you get away," the other person said, sneering.

"Team Rocket…?" Ash thought for a while before something clicked in his mind. Yes, he'd heard about Team Rocket. It was said to be the biggest crime organisation it the world, but it had died down a few years ago, when Red had been on his journey. Even the police had had trouble with keeping up with Team Rocket. He didn't expect the criminal organisation to keep going after so long.

"Yeah, Team Rocket you duds. Haven't you heard of us?" the Rocket grunt asked in an annoyed tone.

"Tch, it doesn't matter, Caleb. These kids have already seen us; we just have to get rid of them now," the other grunt said casually.

"I guess we don't have a choice. We'll have to battle our way out of this," Ash said as he reached for his pokéballs. Misty did the same and glared at the grunts in front of her.

"I don't think so, kiddo," the man, Caleb, said menacingly as he pulled out a gun and held it in front of Ash's forehead. The boy gulped while Misty whimpered as a _click_ sound was heard a second later. "You don't want your brains splattered on these walls, do ya?"

Ash and Misty furiously shook their heads.

"Good. Now come with us. And," he added, "get your little pet back inside her pokeball." He motioned towards Amethyst, who was now gritting her teeth so strongly that they might've broken if she had added some more force.

"A-Amethyst, return," Ash said, trying to keep his cool. Amethyst disappeared in a flash of red light, absorbed back into her pokeball.

"Now come with us, laddies," the grunt said, making the other laughed as he lead Ash and Misty into the cavern where the other Rockets were.

When they reached the room, which was pretty large, they saw an unpleasing sight – several wild pokémon were lying on the ground, knocked out, while thin cords carrying fluids were attached to them. They seemed to twitch every now and then as their bloodstreams were flooded by the clear liquid, making Ash and Misty gag.

"What're you doing – oh, hostages!" a feminine voice exclaimed in joy. Ash took a look at her – she had long, red hair that curled at the ends, and she wore the white Rocket uniform. Next to her was a man with shoulder-length violet hair and a rose between his teeth. He wore a victorious smirk as he looked at the two trainers.

"Now, who da we got here?" the same, funny voice they had heard before asked. The owner of the voice came forward, and Ash widened his eyes in surprise and confusion – it – _he_ , Ash corrected, was a Meowth.

"You're…You're a talking Meowth." Ash stared at the Meowth blankly.

The Meowth glared at Ash. "Ya. Ya and you're a human nerd. Now dat we got dat out of da way, SHUT UP!" he yelled.

Ash whimpered as the Meowth brandished his claws.

"What do we do, Leader Jessie?" the grunt behind Ash asked the lady as he pulled the gun away from the boy's back. Ash sighed in relief.

"I suggest we get rid of them. A bullet to the head will do them good," the other grunt said while chuckling.

"WHAT?" the lady, Jessie, yelled. "We'll do what?"

"Geez Louise, we're not monsters!" the man with the violet hair exclaimed. "We don't kill children!"

The grunts frowned. "Well, then what do we do then, Leader James?"

"Take their pokéballs and then tie those twerps," Jessie and James ordered in unison. "After that, work on getting that bloody Moon Stone! These measly fossils won't be enough for the boss." The two then walked away from the scene, Meowth following behind them.

"Damn those fools," the grunt handling Ash grumbled. "I can't believe the boss let those bastards be in charge of this mission. Come on, chop-chop!"

Ash grimaced as the two grunts forcibly took them to the corner of the room, where a pile of thick ropes were kept in a jagged heap. The two then pushed them for the last time, causing Misty to hit her head against the wall and then slump down to the ground.

"Ow, what the hell!" exclaimed Misty as she rubbed the back of her head.

Ash glared at the two men in front of him. "Don't even dare to touch her!"

"Yeah, yeah," the grunt replied. "Now, hand over your pokéballs!" he shouted as he held his hands ahead. Ash reluctantly unclipped four pokéballs from his belt and roughly handed it over to the Rockets, Misty doing the same. The grunts then pocketed the pokéballs before picking up the ropes and tying them tightly. The thick rope pricked Ash on his exposed skin as then sat down, contemplating on their miserable capture.

"I can't believe Brock just ran away like that!" Ash whispered angrily to Misty.

"Yeah, and I don't think he's going to tell the cops about this because he probably shat his pants while he was on his way out," Misty uttered, snickering uneasily later.

* * *

Brock was sweating. He was lost, and Zubat was inside his pokeball. He didn't want to attract any swarms of Zubat when he was alone!

He then smirked. "Zubat, come out!" he called out. The bat pokémon burst out of her pokeball and then settled on Brock's head.

"Zubat, I need you to take me back to Ash and Misty. Can you do that for me?" he asked with a smile.

"Zu, Zubat bat!" Zubat exclaimed and immediately flew in the air.

"Thanks!" Brock said. "Team Rocket won't know what hit them…"

* * *

"Have you all found the Moon Stone yet?"

Ash opened his eyes slowly and soon his vision was focused. Next to him was Misty, who was fast asleep, and drooling. "Ngh…" Ash groaned and then shifted in his spot, finding that his legs were tied up too.

"Hey…Hey!" he managed to yell, gaining a grunt's attention.

"Look, our prisoner's awake! Whaddya want, chump?" she asked in an arrogant tone.

"When are you going to let us go?" he asked with a sugar-coated voice.

"We will…" she replied, and Ash's hope rose, "…in fifty years!" The Rocket member laughed. "We'll probably take you back to headquarters and keep you prisoner there. We can't just let you roam freely and blabber about everything to the police!"

Ash sunk his head. There was no way they were getting out of this. And Brock! Oh, if he would ever see Brock, he would kick him in his soft spot so hard that it would make him sing soprano for the rest of his life…

 _Wait, I gave that guy four pokéballs…and I kept Amethyst's with me!_ He thought to himself in glee. He shifted his hands but he was unable to get them on the sphere attached on his belt. The Rockets sure were stupid to not check them thoroughly.

About a minute later, Ash finally met his hands on the pokeball. _Yes!_ He exclaimed in joy. With all his strength, he unclipped it and tried his best to conceal it from the criminals in front of him. His eyes then travelled to the wild pokémon on the ground; several were covered in blister-like things while the others looked somewhat deformed. He grimaced at the thought of the twisted experiments that were being carried out in Mount Moon.

It was now time to wake Misty up. He didn't want to keep her asleep while he carried out his plan. "Misty…Hey, Misty!" he said. Misty shook her head jerkily before completely waking up and looking at Ash.

"Wha…Ash!" she exclaimed, anxious. "H-How long have we—?"

"I'd say about two hours." Misty's eyes widened, and Ash nodded. "It seems like Brock didn't warn the police after all.

"Anyway, I need you to listen. I have Amethyst's pokeball with me," he said softly, and Misty gasped. "Yes. Now, I need you to do your best and untie these ropes so that I can call her out and bash these idiots."

"You crazy kid!" she exclaimed softly. "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"Did you see how many Rockets were there here before? There were around a dozen of them!" he replied angrily. "And there are only two now!" Misty seemed to accept this as an answer and worked on untying the ropes on Ash.

"Ow, you're pinching me!" Ash whispered as Misty's nails scraped his skin.

"You're not staying still!" she replied back.

Ash held in a scream as Misty pinched him again, this time harder than before. He couldn't wait to show those Rockets some of his work! Amethyst could simply teleport and hit them with Brick Breaks, which would surely knock them out. A few minutes later, Misty had sneakily untied all the ropes keeping Ash together, setting him free.

"Taste this," he whispered.

But right then, the ground rumbled. The Rocket grunts must've felt it too, because they too seemed alarmed by this and took out their guns. Readying them, they waited for the person to come out.

Then, all of a sudden, the ground burst forth and out came a Sandshrew, grinning for a few seconds before his smile faded. Where was his _Salvador_?

"Hey, what's that Sandshrew doing there?" the female grunt asked, stifling a laugh.

"I don't know, I think we should add it to the experiments," the only other grunt answered. Ash and Misty immediately recognized him as the Sandshrew they had encountered before when the first entered Mount Moon.

"Shrew…?" Sandshrew asked in confusion. He looked around, trying to find an answer. He then saw Ash and Misty huddled in the corner, tied up and in bad conditions. He then turned his attention towards the Rocket grunts. Maybe they had been the reason for his saviour being missing!

"SandSHREW!" the mouse pokémon exclaimed furiously, leaping into the air and instantly curling into a ball. Sandshrew was soaring towards the Rocket grunts with all his speed with the intent to hurt.

"Fire!" a Rocket exclaimed, and she pressed the trigger. The other Rocket pressed the trigger too, but repeatedly, firing a volley of bullets that were speeding towards Sandshrew.

The bullets, however, simply bounced off Sandshrew's extremely tough hide while some made minute holes. Nevertheless, Sandshrew kept hurling towards the Rocket grunts without losing any of his speed. Just because he was hurt a little didn't mean that he couldn't do anything. He would prove himself to his saviour and avenge him!

Sandshrew then smashed into the female grunt's face, making her fall down in pain and unconsciousness. The curled up mouse pokémon bounced off her face and then crashed into the other grunt's groin, making him double over in agony. "Guh…WHY?!" he groaned in pain, falling to his knees before he hit the ground face-first.

"Sandshrew!" Sandshrew declared as he victoriously stood on top of the fallen Rockets.

Ash got up and simply stared at Sandshrew in awe. "That…was…awesome!" he exclaimed in joy. The Sandshrew then rolled over to the duo and looked at them beamingly.

"Sandshrew, could you please cut Misty's ropes?" Ash asked in his sweetest voice. Sandshrew nodded jerkily and ran over to Misty. Sandshrew's claws glowed and extended as he swiped at the ropes, cutting them clean and setting Misty free.

"Thanks, Sandshrew!" Misty said as she hugged the pokémon. Misty then turned to Ash. "Let's get out of here before the rest come back."

"I think we should go chase after Team Rocket to fully get them out of this cave. If we don't, they are just going to cause more mayhem here," Ash suggested. The group agreed and headed off deeper into Mt. Moon in the direction Team Rocket had gone after returning their pokémon for easier travel.

After the group had continued running for a while, they were beginning to wonder where Team Rocket could have gone. Unlike the rest of Mount Moon, this was a straight path so it isn't like the group made a wrong turn. It was then that they saw a small bit of light and an exit ahead of them. Thinking that was the way out of Mount Moon they hurried towards it. Team Rocket might have gotten away, but at least that meant they were gone from Mt. Moon, also. It was soon the group discovered they were dead wrong.

Alas, the corridor didn't lead them to outside. It exited into a circular area about fifty feet in diameter from all sides. They had apparently been in Mt. Moon longer than they thought due to the conflict with Team Rocket. In the middle of the area was a lake which perfectly reflected the moon shining brightly. But what amazed them was the pokémon in front of them.

The group was surprised to see how many Clefairy there were in this area considering how rare they were. Unfortunately, they were all being cornered by Team Rocket. All the Clefairy had frightened expressions on their faces as several Rockets stared menacingly at them. But what got the group's attention the most was what was in the centre of the room. It was the legendary Moon Stone! The Moon Stone was humongous and glittered, as if it had a million stars embedded inside it.

"Leave those Clefairy and the Moon Stone alone!" Ash shouted at them.

Jessie and James turned around to see them. "How did you twerps get here?" they asked, a little shocked. "Tch, it doesn't matter! We've got you outnumbered. Surrender, or prepare to fight!" Jessie exclaimed.

James grinned. "Grunts – hold them off. Jessie and I will report to the boss in the meantime with these precious beauties!" He held out a bag that seemed to have some huge rocks in them.

"You won't get away with this!" Ash shouted, gritting his teeth. He then tossed the pokeball he wanted to all this time and called out, "Amethyst, go!"

But instead of the Sableye came out a yellow rodent, who scratched the back of his ear before taking in his surroundings. "Pika…?"

Ash cursed inwardly. So it wasn't Amethyst's pokeball after all!

The Rockets laughed. "A Pikachu?" one of them – Ash recognised him as Caleb – scoffed. "Are you sure that thing—"

But he was cut short as Pikachu electrocuted him with a powerful bolt of electricity. No one could insult him like that. Caleb's cells were fried as the electricity struck him, instantly killing him. His body twitched for a moment before he finally succumbed to his injuries.

The others sweat-dropped. "Okay, grunts! Let's take care of these buckoes!"

"Yeah!" the rest yelled out at one, taking out their pokéballs and sending out their pokémon. There were several Raticate there, with also an occasional Ekans or a Golbat. Counting every pokémon, there were nine of them.

"Well, if you guys want to use all your pokémon so will we!" Ash shouted as he and Misty released all their pokémon, forming a line of defence for the two trainers.

Despite the fact that Team Rocket outnumbered them in people, they outnumbered the Rockets in pokémon. Team Rocket weren't deterred by the disadvantage and ordered all of their pokémon to attack.

The ensuing battle was, simply put, chaos. Every pokémon was blindly attacking their opponents. Attacks were hitting the walls and the ceiling, making them crack. Amethyst was swiftly dodging everything with Teleport and finishing off the Raticate with a swift chop. Team Rocket's pokémon were attacking each other in confusion, making it easier for Ash and Misty to win. Surprising, even Pikachu was joining the fight, even though he wasn't listening to Ash's orders. The wild Sandshrew Ash had encountered when he first entered the cave was also helping, curling into a ball and slamming into opponents.

"Pidgeotto and Butterfree, blow them away with Whirlwind!" Ash shouted.

Pidgeotto and Butterfree acknowledged the order and swiftly flapped their wings. The combined gusts created by the part flying types were strong enough to lift the opponent pokémon off the ground and slam them against the wall.

"You may have defeated us, boy," a grunt admitted grudgingly, "but we still have some other weapons. Grunts, fire on my command!" He grinned, and all the other Rockets pulled out the black revolvers, all of them pointing them at Ash and Misty.

Ash swallowed. This was it. His début as a trainer would end so quickly. He closed his eyes and awaited the bullets to pierce his body…

Suddenly, the earth rumbled, and all the Rockets stopped themselves from pressing the triggers. What on earth was this sound? It was so loud, and it felt like an earthquake was coming near.

Right then, the wall on Ash's left exploded, sending fragments of mud flying in all directions. A long chain of enormous rocks came through the hole and startled everyone in the room, including the Clefairy. "Onix, Bind them!" a _very_ familiar voice ordered, and the chain of rocs coiled around the Rockets and their pokémon before wrapping them tightly. The guns fell out of their hands and they passed out due to the sheer force from the rocks.

A huge amount of dust filled the room. Pidgeotto immediately flapped her wings to clear out the dust, revealing an enormous rock snake pokémon that smiled at them. And sitting on top of him was…

"Brock!" exclaimed Ash and Misty together, surprised that their companion had come back.

Sandshrew grinned and started to jump up and down hyperactively. His saviour had saved him once again!

"But…But you—" Misty started but Brock waved his hand.

The rock trainer smiled as he jumped down from his Onix. "I was never planning to leave you two. I waited for the perfect moment to strike those scum!"

"We thought that you really ran away back then!" Ash said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Misty smiled for a bit but then walked to Brock, only to smack the back of his head. "Why didn't you come earlier?"

Brock held his hands up in defence. "Hey! I was waiting for something that you can call the 'Dramatic Entrance'!" he defended with a smirk.

"And he saved us, didn't he?" Ash supported.

Misty simply shrugged.

"You'll never get rid of Team Rocket!" The group turned to see Jessie still conscious, struggling to get free from Onix's grip. "We will— oomph!" Her rant was cut short as a small rock struck her head from above and knocked her out.

* * *

About thirty minutes later, the group was back into the room where the mysterious Moon Stone was. The Clefairy were still there and were grateful for their help. Brock, Misty and Ash had quickly called the police and tied up the Team Rocket grunts using the same rope the Rockets once used to tie them up. The Clefairy were now smiling and circling the Moon Stone with their hands in the air.

"It's almost like they're worshipping the Moon Stone. It's so mysterious," Ash commented as he watched the Clefairy dance around the gigantic evolutionary stone in a circular fashion.

"Of course," Brock said. "The Moon Stone is very sacred to the Clefairy."

Ash blinked. "What do you mean?"

"The Clefairy are said to come from the Moon," Brock explained. "If that's true then it would only make sense, since this is the only piece from their home."

The Clefairy soon stopped dancing and then came forward a much larger Clefairy, who appeared to be the leader. She seemed to mutter something before she touched the Moon Stone and started to glow.

"Wow, Clefairy is evolving!" Misty exclaimed in awe.

The Clefairy started to grow taller and gained small wings on her back. Her body was more human-shaped and had longer ears. The Clefairy now stopped glowing and closed her eyes, signifying that she had evolved into a Clefable.

" **Clefable, the fairy pokémon, is a fairy type pokémon,** " the pokedex said once Ash opened it. " **Its hearing is so acute that it can hear a pin drop from over half a mile away. It lives on quite mountains. This Clefable is a female.** "

Ash shook his head. "Wait. Fairy type?" he asked in bewilderment.

Misty nodded. "Fairy type is one of the new types discovered. It completely changed the typing charts! There are quite a few fairy type pokémon in this world, and that's what makes them rare." Ash nodded.

The group of Clefairy then murmured in acceptance of their new leader. The newly evolved Clefable walked to the group elegantly and bowed before them. "Fable, Clefable," she thanked in her high-pitched voice.

"I think that she's thanking us," Misty suggested as she smiled.

The Clefable then walked back to the Moon Stone and chopped up three shards from the humongous Moon Stone! Ash and the others gasped at the sight but they then smiled once the Clefable walked back to them and handed the Moon Stone shards to the group.

"You want us to take these pieces of the Moon Stone as thanks?" Ash asked.

Clefable nodded as she said, "Clefable!"

"In that case," Ash said as he grinned, "thank you very much!"

The head of the Clefairy clan then presented some gifts further. She _floated_ towards a fallen bag on the ground and then floated back to the group, holding the bag with her. "Clefable, Fable Clefable!" she exclaimed.

Ash, Misty and Brock furrowed their brow and looked inside the bag. Inside it were the two fossils that Team Rocket tried to steal! One was shaped in the form of a helix while the other one was shaped like a flat stone. Ash, Misty and Brock recognized them to be the Helix and the Dome Fossil respectively.

Ash gaped at the Clefable in realisation. "So you want us to take these fossils with us?" he asked, surprised at the action, and Clefable nodded again. "Whoa, thanks!" he gratefully said, He then laid the fossils on the ground before turning to his friends. "Well then – which one do you guys want?"

It then hit Ash. There were only two fossils there. One of them had to give up their wants and let the others choose their choice. Ash didn't want to be that guy, but he didn't want to lose his chance either.

"I remember that scientist guy saying that they could now revive fossils at Cinnabar Island," Misty said.

"The Helix Fossil will be turned into an Omanyte while the Dome Fossil will give you a Kabuto," Brock recalled. "Both Omanyte and Kabuto are part water and rock types. I think it would be great if I, as a breeder, could get to raise and study a prehistoric pokémon. You guys wouldn't mind if I had one, would you?"

The remaining two figured that Brock's argument would make sense. And thus, after a long time of decided, Brock chose the Helix Fossil.

"Long live Lord Helix!" Ash joked as he raised his hands in the air.

Brock snorted. "I, for one, would prefer Peeko."

"What?" Misty asked in confusion. Ash and Brock merely shrugged.

Now it was up to Ash and Misty. Who was going to give up their chance of raising a prehistoric pokémon? Misty wanted the Dome Fossil because she was a water trainer and it would be great if she could train a water type prehistoric pokémon. Ash, on the other hand, really wanted to have one, but it really wasn't on the top of his 'Need List' right now.

Misty forced a smile. "I guess I could—"

"It's okay. I don't want the Dome Fossil," Ash quickly interjected. "You can have it, Misty," he said with a weak smile.

Misty beamed at Ash. "Are you serious?" Ash nodded. "Thank you so much Ash! It means a lot to me!"

Ash smiled. He didn't feel bad about it. In fact, he felt really good now.

"Thank you, Clefable," Ash gratefully thanked once again. Brock and Misty did the same.

"Sab, Sableye!" Amethyst said with a grin.

The Clefable and the other Clefairy gave a short bow before walking into a cave in the corner, leaving Ash, Misty and Brock with smiles on their faces.

* * *

It was now early in the morning. Ash and his friends had decided to rest in Mount Moon for the night, only because the Clefairy clan had allowed them to sleep in the same room as the Moon Stone. They leader of the clan then did them another favour by leading them to the exit of the cave.

"Thanks a lot, Clefable!" Ash said as he saw the fairy pokémon walk back to her clan.

"So long, Clefable!" said Misty as she waved until Clefable was out of sight.

"Wasn't it really cool to meet Clefairy and the legendary Moon Stone?" Ash asked the group with a smile as they continued to walk towards Cerulean City.

Brock nodded. "It really was. It surely was a lifetime experience, considering that Clefairy are super rare."

Misty smiled. "What even cooler was that they let us take part of the Moon Stone _and_ the fossils!" she exclaimed in exhilaration.

"Look!" Ash said as he changed the topic. "I can see Cerulean City!"

Brock and Misty stood on their toes while Amethyst jumped on Ash's head. Ash's words were true – they could see the tall building in Cerulean City and Wingull flying in the air! All of them were happy that Cerulean City wasn't far ahead, except for Misty, who had a scowl. However, Ash and Brock didn't notice this and continued to walk.

"Anyway, I hope the police have managed to put those Rockets in jail," Ash muttered in disgust.

"Oh, I don't know, Ash. Mount Moon is a crazy place – some people get lost in there. The cops and the Jennys—" Brock smiled goofily at that, "—might just reach to those Rocket grunts by now."

Ash nodded. "Well, I hope they serve a long time in jail," he hoped.

* * *

Jessie groaned. She looked groggily at her surrounding and found herself tied up in an awkward position. She was unable to move, and the worst part was that her beautiful red hair was in a mess!

She looked around to see the rest of the Rockets tied up too, but they were unconscious. The only one who was showing small signs of being awake was her pals, Meowth and James.

"James. James!" she yelled out, startling the violet-haired man. He blinked furiously before he looked around sleepily.

"James!" Jessie said, gaining his attention.

James looked at her in puzzlement. "Jessie…?"

"Yeah, it's me you fool," she snapped. "Wake up Meowth! He might be able to help us!"

And James did what he was told. He kept nudging and kicking the scratch-cat pokémon until he was fully away.

"Ow!" he remarked as he got another kick from James. "Wot was dat for?"

"We're tied up!" James stated. "Use your claws to set us free!" Meowth smirked as his claws grew longer, clawing at the thick ropes repeatedly until they snapped free.

"Now free us!" Jessie said.

Meowth nodded and immediately set off to do his work. With one swift Slash, he cut off all of the ropes that kept James tied up. The Rocket got up and nuzzled Meowth, only to annoy him.

"Hey!" he exclaimed in annoyance. "Wot's da big idea, eh?"

"Aw, shut up and set me free!" Jessie snapped, making the Meowth raise an eyebrow at her. She simply had to growl to set the lady free.

"Finally," she muttered as she moved her arms. "Now, let's get—"

"Hey, boss!" A voice made Jessie, James and Meowth turn to their left. The found all the other Rocket grunts awake, looking meaningfully at the trio. "Set us free so that we can report to the boss!"

"Um, about that…" Jessie made a weak smile, but her explanation was cut short as she heard loud barks and beams of light coming from a tunnel. "I think they're here!" they heard a female voice echo through the passageway.

"Boss!" another grunt said. "Set us free!"

Jessie, James and Meowth smiled nervously. "Um, it's too late. We'll be there to bail you out!" they said as they ran off. The grunts sweat-dropped before scowling.

"They're not coming back for us, right?" a Rocket said.

Before someone could answer, they saw a horde of Growlithe leaping towards them and barking madly. The Rocket grunts whimpered in fear; a few were so scared that they started to wet their pants.

"Freeze, we have you covered!" a feminine voice snarled. A police officer – a Jenny – stood in front of the tied-up grunts with a gun in her hands. Behind her were several other police officers who already had their handcuffs out, along with their guns.

Officer Jenny smirked. "It looks like we've got the big Magikarp, boys. Cuff them!" she yelled out.

* * *

The group was now a mile closer to Cerulean City than before. They had been talking about what they each wanted to do once they mastered their profession.

Soon enough, the came across a sign on the road that pointed in the direction of Cerulean city.

"Well, it looks like we're in the right direction," Brock said. "Let's go, we'll be there in no time!"

Ash, however, stopped because he had noticed something etched in the corner of the sign. "Hey, it looks like someone's written a note on the sign here! I wonder what it says," he muttered as he leaned in closer to get a better look.

 _"Gary was here. Ash is a loser."_

Ash instantly was fired up when he saw the sign. "Grr, damn that Gary," he growled. Even now Gary couldn't stop taunting him. It seemed like he had to teach the arrogant boy something the next time they met.

Before Misty or Brock could comfort Ash, he had already made a mad dash towards Cerulean City. The gym leaders simply stared in amazement. Who knew that Ash could run that fast?

"Who's Gary?" Brock asked Misty, but he soon found out that Misty was already chasing behind Ash.

"Hey, wait for me!" he yelled out, running behind the two with all his strength.

* * *

Somewhere, under the ground, someone was following them.

…Or _him_ , in particular.

 _I will soon find you, mi Salvador…soon enough. Y luego voy a viajar con usted, para siempre!_ The creature chuckled evilly for a moment before he straightened his body and drilled his way towards the trio.

* * *

 **So how was it? Good, bad? Tell me that in a review and I hope you liked the chapter.**

 **I've also noticed that my reviews average to six reviews per chapter, while I've got a gazillion more views and followers and favs...Okay, I exaggerated it but you get the point! So please tell me guys what you think, it not only encourages me but it also...okay, I can't think of another reason.**

 **Quiz time (sorry, it isn't going to be a regular thing): From which movie scene is the conversation between Ash and Meowth taken from? (Hint: It's a Michael Bay film)**

 **There's nothing to explain in the end, the creature is Sandshrew. It's not some Rocket spy. Deal with it.**

 ***Now I was finding pokedex entries on Zubat and I just found out that the appendages on their bottoms aren't their feet, but their tails. MIND=BLOWN**

 ****Some of you may be offended by this, but I always pictured Sandshrew as a Mexican guy. Why? Because my friend had once drawn a moustache on a Sandshrew poster in his house that made it seem EXACTLY like a Mexican guy in the Wild Wild West ages. So then I pictured him in a sombrero, which further supported my belief! I'm truly sorry if I offended anyone, but I just had to put it in for comedic purposes.**

 **Now, about Sandshrew - I'm going to make him follow the group for a few more chapters, give him some cameo's until he finally joins Brock's team. He has some kind of affection towards Brock because he saved him and all that.**

 **I'm really sorry for those that wanted Ash to get a fossil, but I've got a surprise for him. So you've got to stick to the end to find out what it is (or just come back later when I've revealed the surprise...meh).**

 **As you can see, I've not included 'The Song of Jigglypuff'. I found it to be more of a filler than an actual chapter. Don't worry, Jigglypuff will make an appearance later in the story. You'll just have to wait and see *wink*wink***

 **I also want to say that this isn't going to be an adventure with no crime or anything. There will be death, guns and headshots. BOOM**

 **Next up is chapter 9: Cerulean Blues, where Ash will have his second Rival Battle with none other than Gary? Who will win? Only time will tell...Next time on Dragon Pokeball X, Y...and Z!**

 **Now, to your questions (my favourite part! Not that anyone cares...*Huddles in a corner and sit anime style*)! [SPOILERS! (duh -_-)**

 ** _Can ash get a Nidoran? I don't care what gender._**

...I guess so. I'm still planning on what to do with Ash and his Moon Stone shard. He may catch a Nidorino/Nidorina in the Safari Zone, but who knows?

 ** _Will you make it AshxLeaf and misty bashing? I hate mistiy, also, ¿will a gengar join ash?_**

I'm still deciding between an AshxLeaf or a GaryxLeaf shipping. There is not going to be any Misty bashing. About the Gengar, he won't capture it but I'm still planning on making Ash evolve Haunter.

 ** _What Mega Stone is in the rock Ash bought? Can Ash catch a Zorua shiny/not? I think one would work well with Amethyst._**

It's not a Mega Stone. About the Zorua, he won't get one (yet). However, I think Zorua and Amethyst would be quite the pranksters lol

 _ **when will pidgeotto evolve?**_

Ash's Pidgeotto will evolve into a Pidgeot before the Kanto League, considering that there is no Spearow/Fearow side-plot.

 _ **Will Ash lose any more gym battles?**_

For now, I've decided for Ash to only lose in the Saffron City gym battle. I'm deciding on Vermillion, but I don't think it'll be Pikachu fighting Surge's Raichu.


	9. Cerulean Blues

**Welcome to chapter nine of _The Nomad_! As I said, there will be Ash and Gary's second rival battle. Who'll win? I guess you guys will have to read and see for yourselves! I worked hard on Ash's rival battle so let me know what you guys think!**

 **Just as a note, the Cerulean City arc will take almost as long as the Pewter City arc. Ash will have his second battle with Brock, but I won't say in what case. Ash will also have his gym battle in the next chapter.**

 **Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The group was now staring at the beautiful city laid in front of them.

Cerulean City was, by no means, a large city, nor was it a sprawling urban area. There were plenty buildings, but unlike Pewter, which had a dull feel to it, this city was something else. Even though there were several buildings there was more room for nature. Even from their vantage point, they could make out trees, parks and lawns.

But something about this place was different. It had a calm and soothing aura around it. Maybe it was the breeze, or maybe it was the gentle flowing rivers, but they simply couldn't tell.

"Wow…" Ash muttered. "This place is beautiful…" Brock slowly nodded in agreement, not taking his eyes off the beautiful sight.

"Hey guys," Misty said, her voice breaking through their trance. "I was thinking…maybe we should just skip this place."

Ash and Brock turned to look at her with a questioning look. "What're you saying? There's a gym here!" Ash exclaimed.

Misty shifted nervously in her spot. "Oh, I don't know…Something about this place just seems…wrong." She continued to look at the ground.

"Wrong?" Brock asked this time, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, everything goes wrong at this time of the year in this old, dusty city," Misty said. "Hey! Why don't we go to Vermillion city? It has sparkling waters, amazing beaches and it even has a gym!" Misty exclaimed, hoping that Ash would agree to her at the sound of 'gym'. "So can we go there, please?" Misty almost begged.

"Okay, let's go there," Ash said, making Misty's heart beat rapidly, "but only after we get the badge here, in Cerulean City!"

"You can get a badge at Vermillion city too!" Misty said, pleading.

Brock frowned. "Misty, it seems like you're trying to avoid this place. What, do you have a bad experience with Cerulean City?" he asked.

"No, it's just…" She couldn't get herself to answer the question.

"Okay then; off to Cerulean City!" Ash shouted as he walked ahead, making Misty groan and Brock rub his chin in thought.

* * *

"Raticate, Quick Attack!" Leaf ordered, her Raticate speeding towards the wild Clefairy and crashing into her.

The little creature winced before pounding Raticate with her foreleg. Raticate bared his fangs and dug them into her body, making her screech in pain.

She didn't want to be captured by a trainer. She was just wandering, trying to explore the cavern herself until she stumbled upon that trainer. The trainer first did something to her with a weird device before suddenly attacking her!

Oh, if only her parents were here…but she now had to take the matter in her own hands. She couldn't just cry like she used to!

Leaf took out a pokeball and threw it towards her. "Go, pokeball!" she exclaimed.

This was it. She had to do her best to break free from the sphere soaring towards her, just like her parents had when they faced the same problem. This was it…

A few seconds later, the pokeball dinged and so did the trainer's pokedex.

" **Miss Leaf Rose,** ** _Cleffa_** **has been added to your pokedex database,** " the pokedex said in its monotone voice.

Leaf simply smiled.

* * *

"So, where do you think we should head first?" Ash asked as he browsed through the various displays in the Pokémart.

"Um, excuse me, but I have a certain things to take care of, so I'm out," Brock said immediately.

Ash smirked and knowingly raised his eyebrows again and again. "What things, Brock? Is it a girl?" He chuckled.

Brock's cheeks heated up. "No, it isn't."

"Not that you would have any luck with them…" Misty murmured loud enough for Brock and Ash to hear it.

Brock gave a short, barking laugh. "Ha, ha, very funny," he said with sarcasm while Ash sniggered. He then turned to the watch on his wrist. "Oh, I'm late. Bye guys!" Brock hurried out of the Pokémart.

"Well, anyway, Mist—Misty?" Ash looked around the Pokémart – the redhead was nowhere to be seen. "She was here just a second ago, where did she go?"

Ash then sighed and looked at Amethyst, who was hanging onto his shoulder. "Guess it's just you and me, huh, Amethyst?" Amethyst yawned in response, making Ash chuckle. Muttering to himself, he said, "Well, I guess exploring this city won't hurt…"

Ash sighed once again as he left the Pokémart, leaving the shopkeeper in an annoyed state since he didn't buy anything. There wasn't much to explore in Cerulean City except for the Nugget Bridge, which was made out of pure gold, or so said the pamphlet.

 _Well, it's better to check it out than do nothing,_ he thought as he made his way to the marvelous bridge. It wasn't far away from the Pokémart, but he took around ten minutes to get there. The Nugget Bridge sure was a marvelous sight. The bridge blinded Ash for a second once he first saw it, but he then noticed a poster.

"A poster?" he muttered. "Let's see what it says…"

 **THE NUGGET BRIDGE CHALLENGE!**

Compete in the Nugget Bridge Challenge, where you have to beat five trainers to receive an amazing prize – the gold nugget itself!

Rules: You have to defeat all five trainers to win the challenge. Forfeiting or losing a battle will make you start your challenge all the way from the beginning.

Price for a Nugget: 5,000 pokédollars

Ash gaped at the poster in surprise. "Five…Five thousand pokédollars for beating five trainers?!" he exclaimed in utter shock. "Man, I can't wait to get rich! My pokémon will get the experience for the gym challenge, too. Going to see the Nugget Bridge wasn't such a bad idea after all!" He grinned and started to walk up the bridge to register him, but a voice interrupted his stroll.

"Hey, Ashy-Boy," a voice sneered behind him. "Still stuck here, eh?"

Ash froze in his spot and slowly turned around to see a familiar person with a _very_ arrogant look on his face.

"Gary…?" Ash said in disbelief.

"Yep," he confirmed. "So how's your little adventure going?"

"It's going fine," Ash replied coldly.

Gary snorted. "Sure it is. I've been busy catching plenty of strong pokémon. How about I show that to you in a battle, huh?"

Ash balled his fists. Why did Gary make him feel so…angry?! "You're on!" Ash yelled, unclipping a pokeball from his belt.

Gary mockingly laughed. "Alright…How many pokémon can we use?"

"All of them," Ash immediately replied. He was going to show his complete strength to Gary. He was going to show how much better he was than the cocky boy!

"Okay, then. I'm up first." Gary held up a pokeball and tossed it in the air. "Fearow, go!" Out came a bird pokémon with abnormally large wings and a long neck. His long beak was sharp and he didn't even have to flap his wings to stay in the air.

" **Fearow, the beak pokémon, is a normal and flying type pokémon,** " the pokedex described. " **With its huge and magnificent wings, it can keep aloft without ever having to land to rest. This Fearow is a male.** "

"Let's have an air battle. Pidgeotto, go!" Ash called out, the avian pokémon bursting forth and showing of her plumage. She then got a sterner and determined expression as she looked at the Fearow in front of her.

"Let's do it, Pidgeotto! Let's show them who the better flying type is!" Ash exclaimed, and Pidgeotto chirruped loudly.

"Fearow, use Aerial Ace," Gary commanded. Fearow tucked in his wings and flew towards Pidgeotto with incredible speed, slamming into her before flying back into his position. It almost seemed like Fearow had become invisible for a moment!

"Whoa! Fearow is fast. Watch out, Pidgeotto," Ash warned, the Pidgeotto nodding while she winced in pain. "Let's increase our speed with Agility!"

Pidgeotto nodded. A pink glow surrounded her as she seemed to disappear from place to place, flying with such incredible speed that even Fearow could not match.

"Now use Quick Attack!" Ash ordered. With the combined speed of Agility and Quick Attack, it seemed that Fearow had been hit by an invisible force as he was pushed back in the air by Pidgeotto's brute force.

"Fearow, Leer them," Gary commanded. Fearow's eyes momentarily glowed a bright red, Pidgeotto shivering in fear.

"Pidgeotto, use Air Cutter!" Ash said. He was sure that Pidgeotto would be able to knock Fearow down with that attack!

Gary simply smirked. "Fearow, dodge it and then use Mirror Move."

Pidgeotto blinked in confusion as Fearow spun in the air, completely avoiding the sharp blade of wind that was sure to knock him out. Fearow then twitched before mimicking Pidgeotto's movements – he slashed his wing in the air, creating a large blade of wind that struck Pidgeotto across her torso, making a mark.

"What?" Ash asked in surprise. "How did—"

"Mirror Move is a very handful technique. The user counters by mimicking the target's last used move," Gary explained.

Ash gritted his teeth. Of course Gary would have a dirty yet effective trick up his sleeve! "Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack!"

"Take it and then counter with Fury Attack!" Gary ordered.

Ash looked tensely at Pidgeotto crashed into Fearow with incredible speed, knocking the wind out of him and making the beak pokémon gasp for breath. A second later Fearow shrieked before jabbing furiously at Pidgeotto with his long beak, making her cry out in agony.

"Finish this with Pluck!" Gary commanded.

Fearow's beak glowed white as he gave Pidgeotto a final peck, much stronger than the other ones. Pidgeotto's eyes were wide open as she dealt the pain and the plummeted to the ground.

"What? Pidgeotto, return," Ash recalled. "You did great, Pidgeotto. You managed to stay in the air even though Fearow hurt you a lot. I'm proud of you," he said. Ash then glared at Gary, who was looking at him with a cocky grin. "Go, Pikachu!" Ash called out. The yellow rodent burst on the ground and looked at his surroundings before he rolled his eyes. He was in another battle.

"Hey, Pikachu." Pikachu turned behind and looked at Ash, who was smiling at him. "I really want to be friends with you, so could you please start listening to me?"

Pikachu snorted. As if he was going to listen to that puny human's' commands! Pikachu turned to look at Fearow, who was glaring at him.

"Let's finish this, Fearow. Aerial Ace!" he called out. Fearow immediately sped towards Pikachu and slashed him with his wings, making the mouse pokémon cringe in pain.

Pikachu winced. Who did this bird think he was? "Pika…" Pikachu growled as his cheeks sparked before letting loose a powerful bolt of electricity, catching Fearow off-guard. Once the electricity subsided Fearow plummeted to the ground and didn't move again.

Ash looked at Pikachu in awe. "Whoa, that was awesome, Pikachu! You're so strong!" he remarked. Pikachu smirked. No pokémon could hurt him!

Pikachu then looked to the ground. Maybe this kid wasn't as bad as he thought. He figured he could accept him as his trainer for now on, even though he still despised Ash by a minute amount.

"Return, Fearow!" Gary pressed a button on the pokeball which recalled the knocked out Fearow. "You managed to beat my Fearow, but I bet you can't beat this one. Raticate, go!"

Ash frowned. He knew that a Raticate was not that good of an attacker, but they had strangely hot tempers that even rivalled a Primeape's. Gary could use this temper against Ash and probably win this match.

"Pikachu, let's slow them down with Thunder Wave!" Ash called out.

Instead, Pikachu let loose another lightning bolt that struck Raticate and made him flinch. Raticate bared his fangs in a show of his rising temper, something that Ash did not want to deal with.

"What? I told you to use Thunder Wave, not Thunderbolt!" Ash said anxiously.

"Pika Pikachu," Pikachu muttered with a smirk. If he was going to fight for this human, he was going to do it his way.

"Okay then," Ash agreed, although disappointed. "Let's do it your way!"

Pikachu was impressed. Ash was letting him do whatever he wanted to, without having to listen to his commands. This boy was surely better than the other humans that once trained him.

"Making you pokémon do what they want, huh?" Gary asked in a mocking tone. "Raticate, use Ice Beam!"

"Pikachu, counter it!" Ash said. _TMs are a pain._

 _You don't have to tell me to,_ Pikachu said with a roll of his eyes. Raticate shot an icy-cold beam of energy while Pikachu, instead, was _willing_ his electricity to collect in his tail and form a glowing ball of electricity. Pikachu then did a front flip and hurled the orb of electricity, colliding with the beam of frost. A huge explosion occurred which kicked up a lot of dust.

"What move was that?" Ash asked, astounded by what Pikachu had just done.

" **Electro Ball: The user hurls an electric orb at the target. The faster the user, the greater the damage,** " Ash's pokedex explained.

"Whoa," Ash muttered. "Pikachu, use another Electro Ball!"

"Raticate, use Hyper Fang!" Gary ordered.

Pikachu smirked as Raticate ran towards him, only to be struck by another jolt of electricity shot from Pikachu. Raticate shuddered as the electricity took effect before he was knocked out.

"…Raticate, return," Gary said with a deadpan look. "I must say, Ash, that I'm impressed by your Pikachu. But you can't beat this one!" Gary laughed as he took out a pokeball that was different than the others. Instead of the standard red and white coloration it was blue and white, with two red ridges on the top half.

Gary tossed the great-ball in the air, which snapped open to send forth the pokémon that was contained within it.

The pokémon that came out was a little over four feet and had a humanoid appearance, save for that fact that the pokémon was primarily yellow. The pokémon had two, large pointed ears on top of the head, a red star on the forehead and wide cheeks that led to a thin snout. Extending from the snout were two mustache-like tufts of fur, making Ash think that the pokémon was a male. His torso was segmented with bulky shoulders, a thick brown chest and a small abdomen marked by three, red wavy lines. Attached to the pokémon's abdomen was a large, thick tail encircled with a brown band near his base. His arms and legs were thin. His legs had prominent knees and large, three-toed feet. In his right hand was a silver spoon that occasionally seemed to bend to either side, but Ash knew that it was impossible…right?

"Who's that pokémon?" Ash asked; he had never seen this pokémon before, and so he consulted his pokedex.

" **Kadabra, the psi pokémon, is a psychic type pokémon,** " the pokedex stated. " **If it uses its abilities, it emits special alpha waves that cause machines to malfunction. This Kadabra is a male.** "

"You still wanna battle, Ashy-Boy?" Gary sneered.

Ash gritted his teeth. "I'm not giving up, Gare-Bear." Gary frowned at his nickname. "Pikachu – attack!"

Kadabra turned behind to look at his trainer. "You know what to do." Gary spoke with a glare. Then, Kadabra disappeared, completely evading the bolt of thunder headed straight towards him. Kadabra then appeared right in front of Pikachu, startling him. Kadabra's eyes glowed red before shooting multicolored circles of energy that struck Pikachu and threw him back.

"Pika…" Pikachu groaned as he struggled to get up.

"Don't give up, Pikachu! Fire a Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded.

"Wrap this up, Kadabra," Gary said casually.

Before Pikachu could release the electricity within him, Kadabra teleported behind Pikachu and fired another Psybeam. Pikachu soared in the air before crashing to the ground, kicking up dirt that went in Gary's direction.

Ash, knowing that Pikachu was defeated, recalled him. "You did a great job, Pikachu. It's time you take a rest." He then turned and looked at Amethyst. "You're up, buddy!"

"Leyeeeee…" Amethyst yawned before teleporting to the ground. She then saw Kadabra, which made her smirk at him and exposed her claws. **_"Ha. What'cha going to do, Foxy? Scare me with your psychic powers?"_**

Kadabra snarled. **_"Wait and watch, peasant."_**

"Okay, Amethyst, use Sucker Punch!" Ash called out.

"Kadabra, Teleport away!" Gary ordered.

Amethyst ran up to Kadabra with incredible speed, but Kadabra simply disappeared by using Teleport. Amethyst's eyes widened as she hit nothing but thin air.

"Kadabra, use Shadow Ball!" Gary called out.

Ash smiled. If Gary could use the same tactic, then so could he. "Amethyst – Teleport and then use Night Shade!"

Gary frowned as the shadowy blob of alien energy simply flew in the air before it vanished, just like Amethyst. The Sableye appeared directly behind Kadabra, throwing him across the field as the dark matter that shot out of the Sableye's eyes struck the psi pokémon.

"Kadabra, keep using Teleport to evade the attacks," Gary commanded, clearly frustrated as his pokémon tiredly got up from the ground. "After every Teleport, use Shadow Ball!"

"Amethyst, you too use Teleport! Keep firing Night Shades at Kadabra!" Ash shouted.

A teleportation battle ensued once Gary and Ash yelled out their commands. The trainers could see blurs of yellow and amethyst across the battlefield, along with black streaks of alien energy hitting the yellow blur occasionally and dark-purple spheres frequently hitting the disappearing Sableye. Ash couldn't figure out where his friend was in all this chaos, and the same could be said for Gary.

Then, unexpectedly, Amethyst stopped in her tracks and took in a Shadow Ball, surprising Ash.

"Amethyst, what happened?" Ash asked, alarmed that something had happened to his friend.

Looking at Ash's expression, Gary snorted. "There's nothing to worry about, Ash. It's just that your dear Amethyst can't teleport anymore because she's simply out of the required energy to do so. It's something that gramps and his buddies call 'PP'."

Ash couldn't help but roar in laughter at the terminology. The way Gary said it sounded like something very different.

At that, Gary's cheeks flushed. "It stands for Power Points, okay!" he bellowed. "Anyway, it seems like Amethyst can't teleport anymore. Kadabra, use Shadow Ball!"

Kadabra brought his hands together and formed a hovering, shadowy sphere in between them. He then pushed his hands forward and shot it towards Amethyst, who took the full brunt of the attack.

Kadabra, however, was not doing too good either. The amount of Night Shades from Amethyst had slowed him down and tired him. It looked like he was going to be out very quickly.

"Yes!" Gary exclaimed. "Another Shadow Ball, Kadabra!"

"Amethyst, try to use a Sucker Punch!" directed Ash.

Before Kadabra could even develop the blob of alien matter, Amethyst ran forward with a purple aura surrounding her fist. He then punched Kadabra between his eyes, making him flinch. However, Kadabra regained his senses and then launched a powerful Shadow Ball which struck Amethyst on her face.

"Kadabra, Teleport!" Gary shouted. Kadabra smirked at Amethyst as he saw her panting for breath from the damage she had dealt. However, the smirk was soon wiped off of the psi pokémon's face as he blurred for a second before remaining in the same spot.

Ash grinned. "Looks like Kadabra's out of PP too!" he shouted out loud. "Amethyst, use Night Shade!"

Kadabra sighed in defeat as the beams of black energy struck him on his body. He yelled out in agony as the dark energy disturbed his psychic powers for a moment and then fell face-first on the ground.

"Return, Kadabra!" Gary gritted his teeth. How could Ash still be better than him? He had bought TMs for almost all of his pokémon and trained for so many days in the Battle Club! If he lost now, he could never show his face to his rival. Something had to be done. "Try my ace, then. Wartortle, come on out!"

Ash scowled once he heard Gary call out a Wartortle – this meant that his Squirtle had evolved and become stronger, too. However, he wasn't planning on losing and quickly recalled Amethyst as he saw the indigo-blue turtle appear on the grassy terrain.

Gary raised an eyebrow as Amethyst ran towards Ash and jumped on his shoulder, but he quickly regained a cocky and arrogant composure. "Who's your next pokémon, Ashy-boy?"

Ash grinned. His Butterfree wouldn't lose so easily against the turtle, who was now stroking his white tail fur. "Butterfree, I choose you!"

"Phreeee, Butterfree!" Butterfree exclaimed in his high-pitched and soothing voice as he quickly took to the air.

"Wartortle, use Water Gun!" Gary ordered.

"Butterfree, dodge it!" Ash said.

Mineral water collected in Wartortle's mouth before he shot out a forceful jet of water. Butterfree, however, simply flapped his wings and flew to a higher position, avoiding the blast from Wartortle.

"Butterfree, now use Energy Ball!" Ash shouted.

Gary frowned as a green orb of energy formed between Butterfree's hands. Butterfree then shot the sphere at Wartortle, who instinctively tucked inside his shell to lower the damage from the Energy Ball.

"Wartortle, use Ice Beam!" Gary exclaimed.

"Butterfree, get out of the way!" warned Ash.

The inside of Wartortle's mouth glowed white before he shot out an icy beam of energy. Butterfree cried out as he flapped his wings to evade the Ice Beam. However, Butterfree couldn't avoid the full brunt of the attack, and the tips of his wings were frozen, dragging him down and making flying harder for the bug type.

Gary smiled. "It's an easy target now, Wartortle. Fire another Ice Beam!"

"Butterfree, use Supersonic!" Ash commanded. He knew that Butterfree was going to be out of the match and wanted to make the most out of it.

Wartortle successfully froze Butterfree's body with an Ice Beam. Due to the increased weight, Butterfree fell to the ground and crashed against it, making the ice break apart which freed Butterfree. However, Butterfree himself knew that he wouldn't last long and screeched in a high pitched voice that no human could hear.

Although Ash and Gary couldn't hear anything (which saved them from being confused) they could see feeble rings of energy flowing towards Wartortle. The rings of energy disappeared inside his body and made him twitch, disrupting his mind and confusing him. Butterfree then gave a mocking smirk before his head hit the ground.

"Return, Butterfree!" Ash recalled. "Butterfree, you did great." He then turned to Amethyst, who was looking at the match intently. She nodded, even though Ash didn't say anything, and jumped onto the ground and faced Wartortle.

Gary gritted his teeth. He knew Ash sent out Amethyst because she was already weakened and could be taken out easily. However, with Wartortle's confused state the Sableye and Ash could use that as an advantage and make the most out of it. That would leave Gary and Ash to their last pokémon. He didn't want to admit it, but Ash was getting smarter. "Wartortle, snap out of it!" he yelled out.

Wartortle, however, wasn't doing so well. He could barely hear anything except for some weird noises and his vision was blurry. All he could hear was a muffled voice and all he could see was a dark-purple object. Wartortle screwed his eyes shut and tried his best to focus on everything, but to no avail.

"Wartortle, use Mega Punch!" Gary commanded desperately.

Wartortle seemed to hear the words 'Mega Punch' and nodded. His left fist glowed brightly and he walked forward, only to stumble. Then, he surprisingly punched his own face, making him cringe in pain!

Ash snorted. "This'll be easy," he muttered. "Amethyst, use Night Shade."

Amethyst nodded and her eyes shined. She then discharged a black beam of dark energy from each eye. They beams hit Wartortle on his torso, completely passing through the shell and hitting his body.

"Wartortle, snap out of it! You can do it, Wartortle!" Gary yelled out at the top of his voice. His voice pierced through Wartortle's hallucinations and his vision focused. Yes…he could see things clearly now…Wartortle growled and shook his head, snapping out of his confused state.

"Yes!" Gary exclaimed. "Now use Water Pulse!"

"Amethyst, use Sucker Punch!" Ash commanded.

Wartortle raised his hands in the air and a blue orb of water started to form between them. However, Amethyst snuck up towards Wartortle in an instant and swept him off his feet, making him fall on his back. Amethyst chuckled as she saw Wartortle struggling to get back on his feet.

Then, Wartortle spun halfway and the top half of his body faced towards Amethyst. The blue orb of water then grew to a fairly large size before hurling it at Amethyst and crashing into her. The Sableye fell on the ground and didn't move later on.

"Amethyst, return!" said Ash, holding up a pokeball that absorbed her in a flash of red light. "Take a good rest, buddy." Ash then glared at Gary and Wartortle. The turtle pokémon was very tired and seemed like he wasn't going to last any longer. "Lateralus, you're up!" The Porygon materialized and started to float a few inches off the ground.

"Wartortle, use—"

"Lateralus, Psybeam!" Ash interjected.

Lateralus' eyes glowed red before it fired a multicolored beam of psychic energy from them. The beam of energy then hit Wartortle, sending him flying in the air before he crashed on the ground, sending mud flying in all directions. Gary growled as he recalled his ace and took out another pokeball.

Gary sighed. He knew this battle was lost. The next pokémon he was going to send out stood absolutely no chance against Ash and his Porygon. He hung his head low in defeat. "Machop, go."

Gary desperately sent out the fighting type pokémon, who sneered at the Porygon once he burst out from his confinement. Since he had lost all of his hope from winning, he simply did not command Machop. Ash, however, ordered Lateralus to fire a Psybeam which struck Machop square on his chest and pinned the superpower pokémon to the ground, defeated.

"Return, Machop." Gary glared at Ash as he walked to him. The boy then stopped an inch away from Ash. "I'll see you next time, Ashy-boy. By that time, get your pokémon ready." Gary 'hmph'-ed and then walked away from Ash.

Ash couldn't help but grin. He had just proven Gary wrong for the second time. If they would meet again, Ash would surely be ready.

Battling against Gary had surely excited him, and he was more than ready to compete in the Nugget Bridge Challenge. However, his pokémon were tired and exhausted to the limit. Ash decided to go to the Pokémon Centre and heal his pokémon before he came back to the Nugget Bridge.

* * *

"Hey! Der it is!" shouted a very excited Meowth.

Behind him were a very weary Jessie and James, whose eyes gleamed in excitement as they looked at the panorama while crawling along the ground.

"We've made it!" Jessie exclaimed in delight.

"Cerulean City, at last!" James cried.

"We can get food!" Jessie announced.

"And water!" James added while grinning.

"And clean clothes!"

"And proper beds too!"

"Hey!" Meowth interrupted as he kicked each of their shins. Jessie and James cringed in pain as they rubbed their hurting shins and glared at Meowth.

"Ow!" Jessie and James yelled in agony. "What's the big idea?"

"Are youse crazy?" Meowth cried out. "All dem things ya want are lovely an' all, but dey takes dough to get da last time I checked we ain't got any."

The two Rockets frowned. How were they going to get any money? Right then, something clicked in Jessie's mind.

"Hey," she said, "why don't we call the boss and ask him for some money?"

"The boss?" James repeated in bemusement.

"Yes."

"But he ain't got anything to be happy about," Meowth said while crossing his arms.

Jessie smiled devilishly. "Oh, he does…" she said as she removed three grey wrecks that were glittering like stars.

"Hey! Ya got da Moon Stone!" Meowth exclaimed.

"How about we call the boss now, huh?" James and Meowth nodded at Jessie's suggestion and the lady Rocket pulled out a black, circular device from her pocket. Jessie then placed the device on the floor, pressing a protrusion in the middle which created a hologram. The hologram showed a man in a bright-orange, striped suit. His face, however, was in the shadows and could not be visible to the trio.

"Who is—oh, it's you. Finally made out of Mount Moon?" he asked in a deep and serious voice.

"Yes sir," Jessie replied with a quick nod.

The man tapped the arms of his chair with his fingers. "Good. I'll have my secretary change your statuses from 'Missing in action' to 'Active service'. Was there anything else you three needed to tell me?"

"Um, yes boss." It was James who spoke up now. "We managed to salvage a few shards from the legendary Moon Stone."

A smile split his face apart before his face grew serious again. "I take it that you didn't manage to successfully steal the Pewter Museum's fossils?" he asked. The group nervously shook their heads. "Good enough. Agent 009 is operating in the north of Cerulean City. Give the stones to her," he directed.

"Of course," Jessie said. The boss nodded and was about to terminate the conversation before Jessie spoke up once again. "Excuse me, sir, but there is this one thing…"

"Yes?" the man demanded.

"Well, you see…" James squirmed nervously in his spot. "…We've run out of money…"

"Once the stones are delivered to me we will discuss your… _bonuses_ ," the voice immediately replied.

Jessie nodded. "Okay, sir." The figure nodded, the hologram disappeared and Jessie then pocketed the device.

"I can't believe it. We're broke until we deliver dem stones," Meowth complained.

"Then we better get moving," James replied.

"Wait a minute…Look at dis, guys!" Meowth exclaimed as he pointed to a poster on a lamppost.

"What's written there?" James demanded. He walked closer and took a peek at the poster. "Compete in the Nugget Bridge Challenge…beat five trainers to receive… gold nugget itself…price for a Nugget…5,000 pokédollars!"

"What?!" Jessie and Meowth remarked in unison.

"We can get rich wid dat nugget!" Meowth said.

"But I don't think our pokémon can handle such a challenge," James argued.

Meowth smirked. "Who said anything about battling, eh?"

* * *

"Hello, I'm here for the Nugget Bridge Challenge."

After his battle with Gary, Ash had immediately run off to the Pokémon Centre. It took half an hour to heal off their injuries, and since it had already passed one o'clock in the afternoon, Ash decided to have lunch. He and his pokémon ate as much as he could while Lateralus simply hovered over them and looked with unblinking eyes.

As soon as Ash said those words, a fairly tall woman walked to him. She had blonde hair that was tied up into a bun and was wearing long, denim pants. She wore a hat on her head and wore a pink top. She smiled at the raven-haired boy before speaking to him.

"Why, hello there!" she said in a sweet voice. "I'm Dominie and I'm the head of the Nugget Bridge Challenge." She held out a hand and smiled at him.

Ash beamed back at her. "Hi, I'm Ash. Do I have to do something to register myself or…?"

Dominie shook her head. "No, you don't have to do anything like that. All you had to do was speak to me – which you already did – and I would take you in! Now, I'm sure you've read the rules, haven't you?" Ash nodded. "Good. Just think of it as getting 1,000 pokédollars for battling each trainer; the only difference is that you have to defeat all five trainers to get your prize."

"Superb!" Dominie exclaimed. "Now, if you'll follow me, I'll show you the trainers you will have to face."

* * *

"Hey, hey, hey!" Meowth exclaimed as he looked through his binoculars. "Isn't dat da twoip?"

Jessie snatched the binoculars from the scratch-cat pokémon and looked through it. "Why, it is!" She then grinned. "That's brilliant! Now all we have to do is wait for him to get the gold and then we'll snatch it from him!"

"Now that's what I call a plan!" James remarked.

* * *

Further up the bridge, Dominie led them to a group of several trainers of different ages.

"…And here we are!" Dominie said while she clapped her hands. "Now, the rules for the battles are that it will be a one-on-one. You, however –" she looked at Ash, "– can change your pokémon after each battle if you wish to. Are we clear?"

"You bet we are!" Ash nodded as he punched a fist in the air.

Dominie smiled. "Now, let's see…Alright, I need Cale, Ali, Timmy, Reli and Ethan. You five will be Ash's opponents," she instructed.

Five trainers stepped out of the group. The first one seemed to be a little older than his brother Red and wore a string vest and a straw hat. Ash immediately recognized him as a Bug Catcher. The two girls, Ali and Reli were dressed in skirts and a shirt. Ash identified Ethan to be one of those Campers that always travelled together in large groups simply because of his camping outfit. Timmy simply wore a blue tee and beige shorts.

"Now, if you're ready, Ash, we'll begin your battle with Cale," Dominie said.

"Alright!" exclaimed Ash, unclipping a pokeball. He knew which pokémon he needed to use against a Bug Catcher such as Cale. "Pidgeotto, go!"

Cale scowled but nevertheless sent out his pokémon. "Beedrill, I need your assistance!"

Ash looked at the familiar stingers he had seen in Viridian Forest. However, this Beedrill seemed to be newly evolved due to his smaller stingers.

"Begin!" Dominie declared.

"Beedrill, use Fury Attack!" Cale ordered.

"Pidgeotto, use Gust!" Ash retorted.

Beedrill flew towards Pidgeotto while showing his stingers, but Pidgeotto harshly flapped her wings. Gusts of wind immediately hit Beedrill and sent him reeling back before he fell over the bridge and into the water.

"…Well, that was quick," Ash commented as he smirked at Cale.

Cale pulled out his pokeball and pressed the button on it, the sphere shooting a beam that passed through the water and hit Beedrill. The pokeball absorbed Beedrill back into his pokeball while Cale walked away, hanging his head low in shame.

"Next up is Ali!" Dominie announced. The girl stepped up and took her position, which was a couple of metres away from Ash.

"I hope you're more of a challenge!" Ash taunted.

The girl tossed the pokeball in the air. "You bet I am! Gloom, go!"

Ali proved to be stronger than her predecessor. She constantly commanded her Gloom to release Acid relentlessly, something that poisoned Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto seemed to be in a pinch, but her brutal volleys of Gust seemed to overpower the frail Gloom and knocked him out a few seconds later.

Next up was Timmy. Ash had decided to give Pidgeotto a rest, and instead sent out Lateralus. Lateralus, who knew Psybeam, could quickly take out Timmy and his Ekans.

However, the Ekans seemed to be strong. Without a moment to lose, Ekans lunged at Lateralus and wrapped it with her long body. Ekans then constantly bit the Porygon's digital body and made it twitch in pain. Lateralus then suddenly started to float a few metres above the ground and took Ekans with it! Ekans' eyes widened in surprise as she could no longer touch the ground and instead hung upside down.

Ash quickly got to know the move as Magnet Rise. "Lateralus now spin in mid-air!" he commanded.

"Ekans, watch out!" Timmy cried.

The Porygon then started to spin in the air. Second by second it sped up in its act. Ekans seemed to be struggling to hold onto Lateralus' body for dear life. Ekans screeched as her grip loosened and she sailed in the air, finally slamming against the hard gold bridge.

"Now, Lateralus, use Psybeam!" Ash ordered. Lateralus shot a beam of energy from its eyes that struck Ekans from a distance and knocked her out. Timmy grudgingly recalled his fainted pokémon and walked away and re-joined the group of trainers.

"The fourth opponent – Reli!" introduced Dominie.

"Alright, champ, you got this far but it ends here! Go, Nidorina!" she said with a throw of her pokeball.

Out came a quadruped, light-blue pokémon with darker blue patches on her body. She had red eyes, large, spiny ears and two pointed teeth that protruded from her upper jaw. She possessed poison spikes on her body that extended once she looked at Ash. The pokémon's paws had three claws each and she had a stubby tail.

" **Nidorina, the poison pin pokémon, is a poison type pokémon,** " the pokedex stated. " **The female has a gentle temper. It emits ultrasonic cries that have the power to befuddle foes. Nidorina is an only-female species.** "

"Okay, Amethyst! I choose you!" he declared as he hurled the pokeball which snapped open and released the darkness pokémon.

"Nidorina, use Poison Sting!" Reli ordered.

"Amethyst, Teleport and use Night Shade!" Ash said.

Nidorina slowly ran to Amethyst as the stinger on her back extended and started to ooze poison. Nidorina then motioned to stab Amethyst with the stinger, but the Sableye teleported behind her and evaded the attack. Amethyst then began to fire two black beams from her eyes that joined into one before striking Nidorina. Nidorina fell on her face and struggled to get up while Amethyst stood victoriously.

"Nidorina, use Double Kick!" Reli commanded.

Nidorina's feet glowed white before she thrusted them into Amethyst's direction. However, the feet simply went through her body and left Reli in a confused state.

"Huh?" Reli tilted her head in confusion. "Why didn't it do anything?"

Ash simply took advantage of this situation and ordered Amethyst to use Fury Swipes. Instead, the Sableye did something completely different – she held out an arm, which was then surrounded by a black aura. The aura then took a form of what seemed to be a giant claw and Amethyst slashed at Nidorina with it, knocking out the poison pin pokémon.

"Whoa!" Ash exclaimed in awe. "That was Shadow Claw!"

Amethyst simply grinned at Ash while she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Next is Ethan, Ash's final opponent!" Dominie exclaimed.

The kid in the camper outfit stepped up with a pokeball in hand.

"You won't beat me! Go, Slowpoke!" Ethan yelled out.

Ash was not familiar with the new pokémon. It was a pink creature that resembled a cross between a salamander and a hippopotamus. His feet did not seem capable to hold his body upright. He had a vacant look on his face and a dopey grin. Ash scanned the pokémon and soon came to know about him.

" **Slowpoke, the dopey pokémon, is a dual water and psychic type pokémon. It is always vacantly lost in thought, but no one knows what it is thinking about. It is good at fishing with its tail. This Slowpoke is a male,** " the pokedex described.

"Amethyst, come back," Ash said, and Amethyst ran back to stand next to him. "Butterfree, I choose you!"

Butterfree fluttered his wings excitedly as he took Amethyst's place.

"Use Energy Ball, Butterfree!" Ash commanded.

With a high-pitched cry Butterfree unleashed his most powerful Energy Ball yet. This one was no bigger than the butterfly's own body. The orb of energy exploded against Slowpoke's body, resulting in a small explosion.

"Is it over?" Ash asked.

The dust cleared up and he saw the dopey pokémon's eyes closed. His body was coated with dust as he lay there without moving a muscle.

"The winner is Ash and his Butterfree!" Dominie declared happily. "Ash and his pokémon have won the fifth round and so have successfully completed the Nugget Bridge Challenge!"

"Awesome!" Ash cheered as he high-fived the Sableye.

"…And here's your prize!" Dominie said as she pulled out a round lump of golden rock that was no bigger than a golf ball. Ash stared at it incredulously before he spoke up.

"That's it?" Ash asked in disbelief. "It's so small!"

"That's because it's solid gold," Dominie explained. "Gold is very valuable and even a gram of it costs a lot."

"Um, okay," Ash muttered as he motioned to take the prize, only to be snatched away by a mechanical arm along with Dominie's bag.

"Hey, what the—" Ash yelled out as the mechanical arm was drawn back. He looked up to see an air balloon with a Meowth's face as the balloon. Ash glared at them as he saw his prize being snatched away. "Hey, who the heck are you guys?!"

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

Ash raised an eyebrow after a male and female voice shouted out those words.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

Ash gasped. "Team Rocket…?"

"You three are a disgrace!" He turned to see Dominie glaring angrily at the hovering balloon. She threw a pokeball in the air and shouted, "Golbat, bring them down with Air Slash!"

Ash stared in awe as the massive bat slashed her wing with incredible speed. A thick and sharp blade of wind soared towards the Meowth air balloon and pierced through it, creating a deep gash. The balloon deflated in a matter of second and plummeted down in the middle of the woods.

"No!" Ash cried out in despair as he fell to his knees. "My Gold Nugget…"

"I'm sorry, Ash," Dominie said as she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "But maybe you should head over to the police and inform them about what happened. In the meantime, I'll follow them and get my stuff back. Jumpluff, come out!" she said as the pokeball snapped open. A round, blue pokémon came out with two cotton puffs on each arm and a cotton puff on his head. "Jumpluff, I need you find the people who stole my bag, okay? If they're still awake, put them to sleep till I get there." Jumpluff nodded and flew over the water.

"Well, I guess that's it, Ash," Dominie said with a sigh. "I hope we meet again!" Ash watched as Dominie ran off in Jumpluff's direction.

"My…Gold Nugget…" he wailed.

* * *

"Ugh…Where in hell are we?"

When Jessie, James and Meowth woke up, they found themselves in a dark, cold chamber. The chamber was cuboidal and was made of steel, and it occasionally rumbled as time passed.

"I think…I think we're in a trailer," James guessed.

"Y-Yeah," Jessie agreed, a little frightened.

"You three have a lot to answer for," a familiar voice said in a solemn tone.

The three flinched. No, it couldn't be. Why was their boss here? A light above came on and the Rockets saw their boss standing in front of them, a frown on his face. The three shivered as they saw their boss, waiting to hear his voice.

"But, sir, what is it that we've done?" Jessie asked a bit apprehensively.

"You destroyed our plans at the Nugget Bridge," he replied, even sterner.

The Rockets gulped. What had they done on the Nugget Bridge except for the fact that they earned a little money for Team Rocket?

"I want an explanation," he demanded, "and it better be a good one."

Meowth gulped. "Well, ya see…"

"It's like this," Jessie interjected. "We saw a poster advertising for the 'Nugget Bridge Challenge' and decided to steal the nuggets for you, sir. We didn't know that it was one of Team Rocket's operations," she explained. The boss looked hard at them for a moment before finally sighing.

"Very well. I suppose you didn't know that Agent Domino was in charge of it to search for potential recruits. In any case, those nuggets were simply rocks painted in gold to fool trainers.

"In other matters, the Moon Stone shards that you procured are genuine and not fake at all. For that, you win a prize, or should I say prizes – a bonus of 6,000 pokédollars and some new pokémon."

Jessie furrowed her brow. "Pokémon…?"

The boss coughed. "It occurred to me that with your number of pokémon, you are…outnumbered. Although Ekans and Koffing are no doubt fine pokémon, along with Meowth, you do need more of them." The boss snapped his fingers and a lady brought four pokéballs. The Rocket leader tossed two pokéballs to each of the Rockets, who caught it with glee. "Your next assignment will be given to you shortly. I expect much better from you three this time," he said seriously.

Jessie, James and Meowth grinned. "Yes sir, and thank you!"

* * *

 **...And cut!**

 **I think this is a good place to wrap things up. I don't think that the next chapter will be as long as this one or the previous one, but I will try my best to make the battle intense. And where's Brock? You'll see him in the next chapter. The next chapter will be uploaded on Saturday. I guess I'll see you guys then!**

 **Please leave a review, or follow or fav my story if you like it. It's only because of the encouragement and you guys that I'm still doing it, unlike my other fics ( _cough_ The Darkness Takes Over, _cough_ ). I'm hoping to make it to the end!**

 **I hope you guys agree why I made Ash win. I hated the fact that he always lost to Gary (up until the Silver Conference), and the worst part was that he lost to his Eevee after winning the Orange League. In this fic, he's definitely going to be stronger and hopefully win the Indigo League.**

 **What do you think Jessie's and James' new pokemon are? You're probably going to have to wait for a while to find out.**

 **Next up is chapter 10: The Waterflowers of Cerulean City**

 **And answering your questions!**

 ** _aww no more Leaf? If so, can you show snippits of whats going on with her now and then?_**

Yes, I will show snippets of her like I did in this chapter. However, it won't be very prominent since I'm mainly focusing on Ash's journey.

 ** _make it ashxleaf please_**

I've not yet decided what the pairings are going to be.

 ** _1) if you go with Gary/leaf, can you do pokeshipping? please? And, if a shy boy gets to Hoenn, can he get a bagon?_**

For the first question, I surely will insert PokeShipping if there's no AshXLeaf. And to the second one, Hoenn is a long way from now so I've not yet decided everything.

 ** _WHEN WILL ASH GET A GROWLITHE._**

Ash is not going to get a Growlithe anytime soon. He'll get him/her near Fuschia City.

 ** _can ash get a dratini?_**

...I'm not going to spoil that for you guys!

 ** _Try to make Pikachu start obeying Ash sooner rather than later, Charizard in the anime had already hit rock bottom with no way of recovering by the time he started listening to Ash._**

Pikachu is going to listen to Ash very soon. But right now, he's just battling for Ash and not listening to his commands.

 ** _can ash get a poochiyena on the s.s. ann_**

I don't think so.

 ** _Will ash get aerodactyl because he deserves one will he catch the magnemite also because he deserves one and will ash catch only a few tauros like 6 tauros since he could have traded 5 of them in the trading episode and I say nidorino since he is offered nidoqueen at that episode ps he doesn't deserve 30 tauros because that is weird as lasting a year with ice cream and and a French fry_**

Ash is not going to get an Aerodactyl or a Magnemite. About the Tauros...Let's see.

 ** _Which of the movies do you plan on covering?_**

Right now, I'm planning to do only the first movie, since I haven't planned on continuing after Kanto. If I do, then I'll most probably do the rest of them.

 ** _a male ralts to evolve in gallade with a shieldon both rescued fron Team Rocket migth be not bad additions for ash_**

The idea of rescuing pokemon from Team Rocket is a good one. However, I can't promise you that I'll include it.

 ** _Will Amethyst cause wild pokemon to attack because of a bad timing? Like say waking up a pokemon that would be cranky from being woken up rudely._**

...I don't know.


	10. The Waterflowers of Cerulean City!

**Hello everyone! We've now arrived at Ash's second gym battle. Let me know what you guys think about it!**

 **So, last chapter I got a lot of reviews in which people demanded AshXLeaf. I even got a review in which I was threatened by flames for not using that pairing. As I've said before, I have not yet decided on what pairing I'm going to use. If I decided that it's** **PokeShipping** **, it will be PokeShipping. If it is** **FurtherShipping** ** _,_ it will be FurtherShipping! I've also said that I probably won't do PokeShipping SO DEAL WITH IT!**

 **Ahem. Sorry for the unnecessary outburst, but I got hyper.**

 **Oh, and there won't be Misty bashing.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon.**

* * *

" _This_ is the gym?!"Ash exclaimed in total disbelief.

"Sableye?" said Amethyst as she scratched her head.

Ash and Amethyst were standing in front of the Cerulean City Gym. However, it didn't look like a gym at all. It looked more like an enormous event centre. It was in the shape of a dome, with thick pink and yellow stripes on the roof. On the front of the roof was a structure of a Dewgong. The rim of the dome was in the shape of many small waves. If it wasn't for the words 'Cerulean Gym' written in a wavy font, the structure could easily be mistaken for something else.

However, there was a long line in front of the entrance of the gym that led to something like a ticket booth. Ash slapped his forehead as he looked at the line which didn't seem to end.

"Aw, man," he complained. "I can't believe there are so many people to challenge the gym!"

Ash walked for some time in frustration. What was he going to do? He did want to challenge the gym, but by the time he would reach the front of the line half an hour would pass by. His best bet was to wait in the line for as long as he could.

Ash then narrowed his eyes as he saw a peculiar sight. A well-known redhead girl with a yellow tank top and blue denims was staring inside the gym through one of the glass windows. She had a scowl on her face that grew by the second.

Ash slowly walked noiselessly up to her with a confused expression. What was Misty doing here? "Misty?" he said loudly, startling her. Misty flinched before turning to see Ash.

"Ash, what're you doing here?" she asked as she tried to hide her face.

"I'm here to challenge the gym leader!" Ash said with a grin. "Hey, since you're here, why don't you come with me?" Before Misty could say anything, Ash grasped her hand and dragged her away from her spot and to the end of the queue.

 _Oh, no. Of all the times we had to come during one of their performances,_ Misty grumbled in her mind. _As long as I hide behind Ash, no one will spot me…_

After waiting in the line for over half an hour, Ash, Misty and Amethyst were finally in front of the line where they were met by an usher.

"Yes?" the usher asked as he adjusted his glasses.

"Uh, hello," Ash said, "I'd like to request a battle—"

"There aren't any gym battles going on right now, everyone is here to watch the Sensational Sisters perform," the usher monotonously replied.

"Sensational Sisters?" he repeated in confusion. "This is a gym, isn't it?"

"It is, but it also is a stage wherein the Sisters perform," the usher said.

Ash looked at the ground dejectedly. "Oh…"

"Is there anything else?" the usher asked.

"Well, since there isn't going to be a gym battle anytime soon we can waste time here. Two tickets for the show, please," Ash requested. The usher nodded and handed two tickets to Ash. Misty smiled at Ash at this.

"Ash, that's very nice that you bought a ticket for me," Misty said sweetly.

"Huh?" Ash looked at her and snorted. "I bought one ticket for me and the other one for Amethyst," he stated as he chuckled.

"Why, you little—"

The usher cleared his throat. "Sir, you can get in your Sableye for free," he said. Ash frowned while Misty smirked as she looked at the raven-haired boy victoriously. Upon seeing her face, a smile split the usher's face apart. "Hey, you're Misty, aren't you? The fourth—"

"Um, no," Misty quickly replied as she pushed Ash into the gym/event centre.

"Misty, what was that all about?" Ash asked once he entered the central stadium. Misty, however, simply whistled as she searched for some open seats.

When they entered, they saw that the place was already packed with people – mostly teenage boys and young adults, Ash noted. It was difficult to find a seat, but the managed to find a pair in one of the front rows.

The lights then dimmed. "Hello, ladies and gentlemen! Please welcome the stars that you have all been waiting for…the Sensational Swimming Sisters of Cerulean City!" a voice announced loudly through the intercom.

As the crowd roared in excitement, Ash, Misty and Amethyst saw spotlights focusing on three teenage girls – one had blue hair, one was blonde while the last one had pink hair – who Ash assumed to be the Sensational Sisters. All three of them were wearing tight swimsuits, which seemed to drive the males – except for Ash – crazy. They gave a wave to the audience as they walked up to a high diving board before diving gracefully into the water.

Once they dove in the water they performed various underwater tricks along with their pokémon. Ash thought that they were very good, but he got bored very quickly since it wasn't his kind of thing. Misty simple scowled and rolled her eyes in amusement while Amethyst jumped up and down excitedly.

Ash's eyes widened as he saw a person a few rows ahead of him cheering wildly as he saw the Sisters perform. "Yeah, WHOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed, and Ash immediately recognized the person.

"Brock?!" he muttered in bemusement. He shrugged, because he knew how Brock was around girls.

Once the show was over, the Sisters got out of the water and waved to the audience. Their pokémon, which were all water types, were still swimming while some of them were performing tricks. The crowd applauded them while Ash did so half-heartedly. Misty, however, simply rested her chin on her hand while she muttered "Attention-seekers".

"Hey, aren't you the Fourth Sensational Sister?" a voice asked out of the blue. Ash turned to look at a teenage boy pointing at Misty, who suddenly paled. The boy then grinned. "Hey, everyone – it's Misty, the Fourth Sensational Sister!" he yelled out loud.

The stadium went quite. The Sisters stopped in their tracks and started to scan the audience. They narrowed their eyes as their eyes wandered amongst the people, who were looking at Misty in shock.

"Hey, it _is_ Misty!" a boy finally said.

"Misty's come back!" another shouted.

"Yeah, although she's not the sexiest, she's come back!" a person announced.

Soon the crowd erupted in cheers, this time directed towards Misty. Ash, however, simply stared at Misty with a deadpan look. What were these people talking about? Surely she couldn't be one of the Sisters. "Misty, what're they talking about?" he asked.

"Sableye Sab-Sab Sableye!" added Amethyst, wanting to know the answer to Ash's question.

"Um…" Misty said nervously.

"Are you one of the Sensational Sisters?" he asked disbelievingly.

"She like, so totally is," a woman's voice said in a valley-girl's accent.

The crowd parted to reveal three beautiful women. Up close, Ash could finally see how they really looked. He could now see the family resemblance, except for their hair and eye color. The blonde girl had sparking emerald-green eyes. The one with blue hair had coffee-brown eyes while the last Sister – the one with pink hair – had blue eyes. The three Sisters were stunningly beautiful and wore skimpy swimsuits as they walked towards Ash, Amethyst and Misty.

Upon seeing the Sisters stop a foot away from the three, Ash declared, "I'm here for a gym battle! Do you know where the gym leader is?"

The blonde girl laughed. "You're looking right at them!"

"What?" Ash asked senselessly.

"We're the Sensational Sisters!" the pink-haired girl announced dramatically.

"We're like, world famous," the blue-haired once said. "I'm Violet!"

"I'm Daisy!" the blonde introduced.

"…And I'm Lily!" the pink-haired one introduced.

"The Sensational Sisters!" they declared in unison as they posed in front of Ash and Misty.

"Then what's with all the swimming?" Ash asked.

"It's like, our hobby, and our fans, like, love it," Violet said.

"Now, little sister, why don't you follow us along with your boyfriend," Daisy said.

"He is NOT my boyfriend!" Misty yelled out a little louder than necessary.

"We were just kidding!" Lily replied as she held her hands up. "He's not like, someone who I'd chose as my boyfriend either."

"What?" Ash asked skeptically.

* * *

Ash, Misty Amethyst, Brock and the Sensational Sisters were now in the stadium. A few stragglers from the performance were still hanging around and chatting amongst themselves. A few moments passed before Ash formally requested for a challenge.

"I would like to have a Gym battle for the Cascade badge," Ash stated firmly.

The Sisters got nervous and embarrassed looks on their faces once he said that.

"What's wrong?" he asked in curiosity.

"Um, we would, like, like to battle you, but we, like, don't have any pokémon to battle with," Daisy slowly said.

"What? How come you guys don't have pokémon to battle with? Isn't this a gym?" Ash asked in disbelief.

"It isn't like that!" Lily quickly said. "It's just that we, like, lost so many battles recently that all of our pokémon are at the Centre. This spiky-haired kid named Gary beat us and another kid named Paul, like, thrashed us with his Elekid. Then another kid named Rich or something like that beat us with a _Charmander_." The three grimaced at that. "We do have a few more pokémon, but the only one for your level would be a Starmie who just doesn't listen to us."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Ash muttered disappointedly.

"Well, you can get the Cascade badge, like, right now, or wait for a few days until you can properly challenge us." Ash looked up at the Sisters like they were crazy. They were handing him a badge, just like that. He decided that it was just a prank being played by the Sisters until a seal-like pokémon emerged from the waters with something in his mouth. Daisy took the object and looked at Ash.

Ash took out his pokedex to scan the pokémon. " **Seel, the sea lion pokémon, is a water type pokémon. Seel is a pokémon that lives on icebergs. It swims in the sea using the point on its head to break up ice. This Seel is a male,** " the pokedex stated.

"Here is the Cascade badge," Daisy said as she opened her palm. In her palm was a badge in the shape of a light blue raindrop.

"Sounds good to me," Ash said as he grinned. He snatched the badge from Daisy and held it in his palm, staring at it. Suddenly, someone batted his hand and the Cascade badge went soaring until it fell in the swimming pool.

"Hey!" he exclaimed as he looked at the person in annoyance. He turned to see that it was Misty, who was glaring at him. Ash whimpered at the intense glare Misty gave him but soon found his composure.

"You're not going to get that badge that easily," Misty said as she walked over to the other side of the stadium. She stood in a trainer box and said, "If you want it, you'll have to get through me!"

"What? What gives you the right to battle me for a badge, huh?" Ash asked in annoyance.

"These three are my sisters, so that makes me the fourth Sensational Sister!" Misty declared proudly.

"Excuse me?" Violet snorted as she gave Misty a disapproving look. "There are _three_ Sensational Sisters and one little runt," she said, making Misty's cheeks grow red.

"What're you doing here anyway?" Lily asked in a haughty fashion.

Violet gave a short laugh. "I thought that a certain someone wasn't going to return until she'd gotten stronger."

"I think Misty should battle on our behalf," Daisy intervened. "What?" she asked once she saw her sisters glaring at her. "She's the only one who's got pokémon who're not injured." Violet and Lily shrugged and then turned towards their younger sister.

"Well, Ash! Get ready to rumble!" Misty yelled out.

Ash shook his head and recovered from the initial surprise of the confrontation. "Okay, Misty! I'm going to get that Cascade badge from you if it's the last thing I'll do!" Ash declared with pure determination.

* * *

A few minutes later, Ash and Misty were standing on either side of the swimming pool with a pokeball in hand. Violet, Daisy and Lily were sitting in the sidelines and watching the match intently while Brock tried his best to impress the Sensational Sisters with his pickup-lines, only to get a hard slap on his face from the eldest of the three. Ash certainly hadn't expected to battle Misty for a badge, but that wasn't going to distract him. All he needed to do was focus on winning.

"So, what are the rules here?" Ash asked.

"You will use the same number of pokémon as me, since this isn't your first Gym Battle," Misty informed. "In this case, you will use three pokémon. However, you can substitute your pokémon while I can't."

"Alright!" replied Ash.

"Okay, then. I choose Goldeen!" Misty declared as she tossed her pokeball in the air.

Goldeen appeared from the pokeball and dived into the water. Ash knew that Misty's Goldeen was quite strong since he'd seen her battle quite a few times before.

"In that case, I choose Pikachu!" Ash yelled out as he released him. Pikachu appeared on the two small platforms in the pool and groaned. _Not another battle,_ he thought. Pikachu shrugged. He didn't mind it, of course, and he liked thrashing other pokémon.

"I'm going to beat you, Ash!" Misty declared. "At least then I'll feel better about my bike!"

 _I can't believe she's still ranting about her bike!_ Ash thought in annoyance before he focused on the match. "I'll go first then! Pikachu, use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu shook his head, and instead his cheeks sparked. Goldeen was in the water, and when she would get shocked…Pikachu chuckled evilly. He jumped in the air, and when he was airborne he unleashed his deadliest Thunderbolt yet. The electricity came in contact with Goldeen's body and shocked her, electricity coursing through her veins. The water around her was superheated and steam rose from the water around her, creating a thin veil between Pikachu and Goldeen.

"I guess I win, then," Ash said with a smirk.

"Not yet…" Misty murmured.

"Like, what is she up to?" Violet asked her sisters.

"I don't know," Daisy replied, resting her head in her hands.

"Goldeen, use Water Pulse!" Misty ordered.

Pikachu's eyes widened as a pulsing blast of water broke through the veil of fog and headed towards him. The electric mouse had no time to react, and thus was blasted away by the enormous sphere of water. The force was too much to take, and he flew backwards and slammed hard into the Cerulean City Gym's wall. He slumped down and struggled to get up despite his injuries.

"Pikachu, are you alright?!" Ash asked as he ran to the heavily injured rodent. Pikachu gritted his teeth and barely stood up – he could battle, but he was heavily injured.

"Pi…kaaa…" Pikachu groaned as he glared at the Goldeen.

"Okay, Pikachu. I need you to return for now," he said sadly as he held out a pokeball. His eyes widened a bit, and he swore that he saw Pikachu giving a hint of a smile he was recalled.

Ash then took out another pokeball and said, "Pidgeotto, I choose you!" The avian pokémon chirped as she was let out of her pokeball.

Ash now had to play carefully. He didn't know what dirty trick Misty and her Goldeen played, but he was going to get to the bottom of it and avoid it as much as possible. However, he couldn't hold it in and abruptly asked, "How did you do it, Misty?"

Misty smirked. "There's something special about Goldeen. You see, she doesn't get hurt from electric type attacks." Ash titled his head in confusion at this and Misty rolled her eyes. "Her ability is Lightningrod. So when your Pikachu unleashed a Thunderbolt, Goldeen drew the energy with her horn. She's now bursting with energy!" she explained as she winked.

Ash snarled at her. "Grr…" he growled. "Damn that Misty…" _I'm not going to use Pikachu until Goldeen's out…I guess I'll have to make do with Pidgeotto._

"…Misty's, like, getting better, isn't she?" Lily commented disappointedly.

"Mmmhmm…" Daisy hummed.

Brock simply grinned. "I know why you three are water trainers!"

The Sisters turned and looked at the ex-gym leader in annoyance. They hoped that it wasn't another pick-up line. "And why is that?" Violet asked.

Brock's eyebrows twitched. "You three need to cool it, because you're smokin' hot!"

The Sisters deadpanned. "Shut up, Brock."

"Pidgeotto, are you ready?"

Pidgeotto cried out in agreement.

"Alright then – use Steel Wing!" Ash commanded.

"Goldeen, use Water Pulse!" Misty called out.

"Use Agility to dodge the Water Pulse, Pidgeotto!" said Ash.

Pidgeotto flapped her wings before straightening them and swooping towards Goldeen, who had formed a giant orb of water above her horn. When Pidgeotto was fairly far away from the goldfish pokémon, Goldeen launched the pulsing blast of water towards, Pidgeotto, but the bird pokémon's already incredible and now heightened helped her to easily evade it, no matter how big it was. Pidgeotto then slashed Goldeen with both her wings before flying in the air, preventing Goldeen to strike her with her impressive horn.

Ash smirked. "Aha! As long as she's in the air, she's safe." Ash smiled at Pidgeotto while Pidgeotto did the same. "Great work, Pidgeotto! Let's do the same thing again!"

"Oh no, you don't! Goldeen, dive into the water!" Misty ordered.

Goldeen gave the equivalent of a nod and leaped into the air before swiftly diving into the water, making Pidgeotto's steel-hard wings create ripples in the water. Pidgeotto frowned and then flew back above, scanning the waters for her opponent.

"Goldeen, splash your tail in the water for a second and then prepare a Horn Attack!" Misty ordered.

A second after Misty uttered her commands, droplets of water splashed out and the water became distorted, making it difficult for Pidgeotto to see underwater.

"Watch out, Pidgeotto! Goldeen can come out anytime," Ash warned.

Pidgeotto nodded and waited for Goldeen to come out again. A few moments later, Goldeen unexpectedly shot out of the water at lightning speed and soared towards Pidgeotto. Her horn made a direct contact and sent Pidgeotto reeling in pain as she disappeared into the pool again.

 _This is bad,_ Ash thought as he grimly looked at Goldeen executing her task perfectly in succession. _If Goldeen keeps this up, Pidgeotto will be knocked out in no time!_ "There's got to be a way to get her out of the water," Ash mumbled under his breath. He looked at Pidgeotto flapping her wings and causing ripples in the pool.

"A way to get Goldeen out of the water…" he repeated as he stared at the scene, his smile growing by the second.

"Pidgeotto, use Gust on the pool!" Ash said.

 _What's he doing?_ Misty thought.

Pidgeotto then started to send strong gusts of wind towards the pool. At first, nothing happened except for a few ripples. As time passed by, Pidgeotto's flapping fastened and strengthened, making the water splash. It wasn't long before the water in the pool began swaying back and forth violently. Water was splashing out of the pool wildly and crashing into people sitting in the sidelines, but Ash simply didn't care.

Despite Goldeen being an aquatic pokémon, it was hard for her to maintain her control because of how violent the waters were. She did her best to stay at the bottom of the pool and away from the surface, but she kept being pulled up. The goldfish pokémon was continuously being tossed around and was unable to swim, while Pidgeotto was out of harm's way.

"Pidgeotto, I need you to gather all your energy and put it into Gust, please!" Ash called out. Pidgeotto nodded and used all her strength to flap her wings. Suddenly, the water was _pulled_ up, along with Goldeen in it, and a large tornado was brewed. Ash himself couldn't believe the sight – the tornado kept spinning with incredible speed and spun Goldeen in it. Goldeen groaned in uneasiness and pain as the tornado kept twirling her, until she finally broke away from its grasp and slammed into a wall. Goldeen then fell down in defeat.

"Oh, poor Goldeen," Misty muttered sadly as she recalled her.

"That was awesome, Pidgeotto! But what move did you use?" he asked curiously. The avian creature merely shrugged as she continued to flap her wings, the tornado of water throwing water in all directions.

Thinking it was best to consult his pokedex, he flipped it open. " **Twister: The user whips up a vicious tornado. Twister is a Dragon type move,** " the pokedex stated.

"Okay! Pidgeotto, you can stop the Twister!" Ash commanded; he himself was tired by the wind hitting him and wanted it to stop.

However, when the twister was abruptly stopped, the water came down in a matter of seconds and crashed at the bottom of the pool. At least quarter of the water was displaced as the water crashed down, wetting everyone present in the gym. Ash grumbled, wringing his hat out. He was sopping wet.

"Hey, watch where you're splashing!" Daisy complained as the turbulent waters hit her, her sisters and Brock.

Lily wailed. "And I'd just got my hair done, too…" she grumbled. Brock did his absolute best to act normal, trying not to make his staring too obvious at the fact that the Sisters' _very_ tight swimsuits were now completely wet, making them cling to their skin even more than they already were.

Misty took out a pokeball and gave Ash a serious look. "You may have beaten Goldeen, but this one is much stronger! Staryu, I need your assistance!" The pokeball snapped open and Staryu landed on one of the platforms. Ash knew that Staryu was strong too. However, if he kept playing like before victory would surely be his. However, he didn't want to tire Pidgeotto even more and so decided to send out Pikachu, who had a good rest and was eager to battle (although on his own accord).

"Pidgeotto, return!" he called out. "Pikachu, go!"

"You don't just win with a type advantage," Misty said, although she was now a little scared. "We'll have the first move! Staryu, use Rapid Spin!"

Staryu nodded and leapt into the air. It then spun towards Pikachu and slammed into him before spinning back to its platform.

Pikachu then retorted by releasing electricity from his body that soared to Staryu, but it was quickly able to spin its way away from the Thundershock. Staryu dived into the pool and then came out of the water before slamming into Pikachu. The starshape pokémon then dove back into the water.

"Just because Pikachu is an electric type doesn't mean that he's going to win. Remember, Staryu has the whole field while Pikachu just has two platforms!" Misty smirked.

"We'll see about that!" Ash shot back. "Pikachu, watch out!"

"Chaaaa…" Pikachu growled as he looked at the water. He could see a vague shape moving around in the water, but it was very fast and disappeared very quickly. He then heard the sound of a splash in the water that signaled that Staryu had come out, but it couldn't see it anywhere.

"Pikachu, look behind!" Ash called out, but it was too late. Staryu spun towards Pikachu and rammed into his back, sending the mouse pokémon soaring in the air before he crashed into the pool. Staryu too dove back into the water.

Misty grinned. "It's all over, Ash! Pikachu can't swim in the water and is nothing but a sitting Psyduck! Staryu can simply keep attacking him!" she said.

Ash gritted his teeth. He could see Pikachu struggling to paddle towards the platform while Staryu kept slamming into Pikachu.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded.

Pikachu's balled his fists as his cheeks sparked, charging up the electricity in his body. Then, with a loud cry, he let loose the bolt of electricity in the water. Electricity coursed through Staryu's veins, shocking it to its core. Pillars of water rose up with great force and fell down as they slammed into Staryu and Pikachu. The water superheated and steam rose from the pool, obscuring everyone's vision.

"Who won?" Ash asked. The steam cleared and he saw Staryu floating in the water while Pikachu was sinking down, both of them utterly defeated.

Ash's eyes widened and he frantically searched for Pikachu's pokeball o that he could recall him and save him from drowning. A beam of red light shot out from the sphere and passed through the water to hit Pikachu, recalling him back into the pokeball. Misty did the same before removing out another pokeball from her belt.

"Ash…" she said slowly, "…that was risky. You could've ended up frying everyone in the gym!" she yelled out.

Ash smiled uneasily. "Everyone's safe now, right?" He chuckled nervously but soon stopped once he saw Misty's death-glare.

"Okay. I now call…Starmie!" Misty called out. The pokeball opened up to reveal a pokémon similar to Staryu, except that it was violet instead of Staryu's tan color. Its center, red jewel was larger and it had double the number of legs as Staryu.

"Starmie…" Ash uttered as he opened his pokedex.

" **Starmie, the mysterious pokémon, is a dual water and psychic type and is the evolved form of Staryu.** " The pokedex showed the picture of Starmie on its screen. " **Its central core, which contains all its power, glows with the colors of the rainbow. Some people value the core as a gem. Starmie are genderless.** "

"Go, Pidgeotto!" Ash said. The bird pokémon soared in the air before landing on a platform.

"Okay Starmie, be ready!" Misty said.

"Pidgeotto, use Quick Attack!" Ash commanded, Pidgeotto disappearing as she left a trail of white light behind her. She was blindingly fast and if she kept this up Starmie would be out in no time.

Misty smirked. "Speed won't matter here, Ash! Starmie, use Psychic and then throw Pidgeotto in the water!"

Starmie's core began to glow as a psychic aura was emanated from the valuable gem. Pidgeotto was stopped an inch away from her opponent and looked at Starmie in confusion. Starmie's legs then twitched before Pidgeotto was hurled into the water where she flapped her wings to fly up.

"Pidgeotto, fly out of the water!" Ash commanded. Pidgeotto nodded and flapped her wings even harder until she burst out of the water. However, she was just a foot above the water and was struggling to soar in the air.

"Why isn't Pidgeotto flying any higher?" Ash whispered in confusion.

As if picking up his thoughts, Misty replied: "Pidgeotto was thrown into the water, right?" Ash nodded. "So the water is in her feathers and is now weighing Pidgeotto down! Pidgeotto's an easy target now!" she exclaimed in pure joy. "Starmie, use Swift!"

Ash gritted his teeth. "Pidgeotto, dodge it!"

"You can't dodge Swift, Ash!" Misty yelled out.

Ash snarled. "We'll see about that!"

Unfortunately, Ash was directly proven wrong. Starmie jumped from its platform and then floated horizontally before spinning rapidly and emitting white, star-shaped rays of pure energy that sped towards Pidgeotto. Pidgeotto used all her strength and might to dodge the stars but failed and was struck by them. Pidgeotto shrieked in pain before she once again fell into the water, splashing helplessly.

Ash gasped. "No Pidgeotto!"

"Time to end this." Misty balled her fists and then dramatically pointed her finger at Starmie. "Starmie, use Water Gun!"

Starmie then landed back on the platform and shot a powerful jet of water at Pidgeotto. The blast of water struck Pidgeotto on her face and sent her reeling back in pain. She then slowly sunk down to the floor of the pool in defeat.

"Return, Pidgeotto," he recalled as a red beam hit the sunken bird pokémon. "You did great, Pidgeotto. Now take a rest," he said with a smile. He then turned and looked down at Amethyst. "Amethyst, it's all up to you!"

"Bleye!" the Sableye cried as she jumped onto the small platform in the pool.

"Starmie, use Psychic and then hurl Amethyst onto a wall!" Misty commanded. Starmie's core began to glow pink before Amethyst was caught in a pink aura. However, the aura suddenly disappeared and Amethyst looked completely okay.

"Whys didn't it work?" Misty asked in confusion. After a moment of thinking, she stomped her foot in frustration. "Shit! I forgot that Sableye are part dark types too!"

Ash immediately took advantage of this situation and called out an order. "Amethyst, use Night Shade!"

Amethyst nodded as her gems-for-eyes glowed momentarily. She then shot black beams from each eye that sped towards Starmie and struck it on its appendages.

"Starmie, dive underwater and use Water Gun!" Misty hollered. Starmie gave the equivalent of a nod and leapt into the water, evading another Night Shade from Amethyst.

Right then, a powered jet of water shot out from the pool and headed towards Amethyst with incredible speed and force. The Water Gun was fired at a force strong enough create a hole in concrete. Amethyst instinctively reacted and vanished onto the next platform.

"Amethyst, try not to use Teleport again and again!" warned Ash. He didn't want her to get tired easily and let her psychic potential prevent her from teleporting around the field.

Just then, Starmie caught Amethyst off-guard and shot another powerful Water Gun. The jet of water collided with the darkness pokémon and sent her soaring back onto the hard wall.

"I think Misty might, like, win this," Lily commented from the sides as she played with a lock of her hair. Violet nodded while Daisy was drying herself with a towel.

"Starmie, use Gyro Ball!" Misty ordered.

Starmie then burst out of the water and started to spin at an incredibly high speed. Light-blue orbs formed at the ends of its appendages as it started to spin towards Amethyst and slammed into her, sending the Sableye towards the wall once more. Amethyst crashed into the wall and a small crater was formed as she slowly slumped towards the ground.

"Amethyst, are you okay? Can you stand?" Ash anxiously asked.

"Leyeeeee…" Amethyst mumbled as she slowly got up. She was running out of energy.

"I really hate having to hurt Amethyst like this, but this is a Gym Battle. I guess one more Gyro Ball ought to do the trick," Misty said.

"Amethyst, use Night Shade!" Ash commanded.

Amethyst once again shot energy beams from her eyes, but Starmie simply deflected them with its appendages. Ash gritted his teeth. Amethyst couldn't last any longer like this. Amethyst was in trouble both in and out of water. If Amethyst was out, then Starmie could easily take care of Pidgeotto. And if Starmie simply slammed into her… _Wait, that's it!_

"Starmie, use Gyro Ball!" Misty ordered.

"Amethyst let Starmie get to you!" Ash called out.

Misty frowned. "What's he trying to do?"

Amethyst looked at Ash in confusion, but then nodded. She then turned to look back at Starmie, who was in midair and was spinning madly as eight blue orbs formed on the tips of its appendages. Starmie then spun directly towards Amethyst. Just as it was about to collide against the dark and ghost type, Ash ordered: "Amethyst, JUMP!"

Amethyst flinched at the loud command but nevertheless agreed, but Starmie was so fast that it would be impossible for her to jump and evade the Gyro Ball. Instead, she teleported directly above her previous position, and Starmie crashed against the wall, creating a small explosion. Dust was kicked up from the collision, and once the dust cleared Amethyst was standing on top of Starmie's central core while many of the tips of Starmie's appendages were embedded in the concrete wall. Starmie was struggling to get free and Misty had a look of surprise on her face.

"S-Starmie," she stuttered, "break free!"

Ash grinned. "Awesome! Amethyst, now use Brick Break! Aim for its core!"

Amethyst nodded as she stood on Starmie, who was struggling to break free from the wall. Amethyst's fist glowed white for a moment before she punched Starmie's core, a resounding crack echoing in the gym. Ash grinned as he saw the core faintly blinking while Amethyst simply smirked at the mysterious pokémon.

"Starmie, use Gyro Ball and Get out of there!" hollered Misty.

"Oh no you don't – Amethyst, use Shadow Claw!" Ash bellowed.

Amethyst nodded and held out an arm. The arm was then surrounded by a black aura before the aura took the form of a giant claw. Amethyst then slashed at Starmie, knocking it to the ground. The central core now stopped blinking and quickly went out. It had been defeated.

"I…I can't believe it! You defeated Starmie!" Misty said in disbelief.

"That was awesome, Amethyst!" Ash praised.

Amethyst faced Ash and did a 'V' shape with her fingers as she smiled at him before slumping to the ground in exhaustion. Ash ran towards his friend and scooped her in his arms before walking towards the Sisters, Misty and Brock.

"Ash, that was an amazing win," Brock complimented as he patted Ash on the back.

"Thanks! But I couldn't have done it without my pokémon," Ash replied as he looked at Amethyst.

Misty recalled Starmie before she walked over to the group, her head hung low. She expected her sisters to mock her and laugh at her for her loss, but they did the exact opposite.

"Hey Misty, that battle was, like, super cool," Daisy complimented.

"Totally!" added Lily.

"You've become a lot better," Violet added further.

Misty blinked and looked at her sisters in puzzlement. "Wha…What do you mean?" she asked, slightly bewildered. "I lost, didn't I?" she said as she looked dejectedly at the ground.

"That doesn't matter. You were, like, awesome! The way you handled your pokémon proves that you're, like, an excellent trainer," Daisy answered.

Misty smiled, but then said. "Wow! But, Daisy, could you drop the valley-girl accent? Everyone knows that you do it just so that trainers underestimate you guys," Misty said as she deadpanned. The Sisters merely shrugged.

"Anyway, you're like one of the Four Sensational Sisters after all," Lily casually said.

Misty gaped at them. "You…You really mean it?" she asked with unshed tears of joy in her eyes.

"Yeah – we mean, of course! Even though we tease you we still love you," Violet said.

Misty smiled at them, her lips quivering. It was one of her goals to be recognized by her sister, and now that she was she couldn't be happier. Misty hugged each of her sisters before turning and facing Ash. "Ash, you've gotten a lot better than when I first met you. You beat me, and for that I present to you the Cascade Badge."

"Thanks," he replied, not taking his eyes off the tear-shaped badge. Ash then held it out in front of him and said, "I got the Cascade Badge!" while Amethyst jumped into the air and grinned.

"That was a great victory, Ash!" Brock told him.

"Yeah, and I can't believe my sisters recognized me as a Sensational Sister!" Misty exclaimed. She then took a pose and grinned. "Here we are! The four Sensational Sisters!"

Ash snorted. "Oh, you mean three sisters and a loser!" he mocked. Everyone laughed, but Misty instead gave Ash a death-glare.

"That's it, Ash Ketchum!" she bellowed as she roughly shoved Ash into the pool, then jumping into it. "You're going to get it!"

Seeing that look in her eyes, Ash decided to swim for his life. He immediately swam to get out of the pool as fast as he could, but Misty quickly caught up to him, being a natural swimmer. Everyone looked at the pair in amusement as Misty continuously pounded him and dunked him in the pool until he cried for mercy.

"Ow! Okay, okay!" he said between breaths. "I take it back, Misty! You're not a loser!" He looked at her with pleading eyes until her glare softened. A second later, there was a devilish glint in his eyes as he slowly swam away from the water type trainer.

"…You're THE loser!" he shouted out as he got out of the pool, leaving a fuming Misty swimming towards him.

Everyone else roared in laughter.

* * *

 **And that's it! This was one short chapter in comparison to the few previous I've written. Next will be the arc wherein Ash will capture all three Kanto Starters - Charmander, Bulbasaur and Squirtle and that's when things will be different from canon. I hope the fresh now idea's I've got will please you guys.**

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed, followed or favourite'd my story. I hope I get to see it to the end!**

 **For the FurtherShipping v/s PokeShipping issue, I've left a poll on my profile. Vote as soon as possible if you want your desired shipping to appear since I have mixed thoughts. 'Kay?**

 **Up next is Chapter 11 - Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village**

 **Answering the questions:**

 ** _since ash won't obtain aerodactyl, what is the super rare pokemon you will give to ash to balance brock and misty fossils?_**

You'll have to wait and see!

 ** _WILL ASH FIND A GIRL FRIEND_**

YES HE WILL BUT STOP USING CAPSLOCK

 ** _Is this the only region your going to write? if so can you tell us why?_**

Most probably, yes. The reason is because I want this to be a small project, but if I do write about Ash going to different regions it's going to be rather different than canon. So, if you expect me to continue this you'll have to wait and see!

 ** _Can Ash get an Abra in Cerulean Cape as that was where I got Abra and I love the Abra line (although I do go with Espeon as well but I think you mentioned he wasn't getting Eevee)_**

He won't get an Abra.

 ** _I would love to see Ash get a Meowth (I don't care if it is or isn't team rocket's I just want him to have one)_**

I'll see if a Meowth can get into his team, but it probably won't be possible.

 ** _If you do add Jigglypuff I think Ash should catch it_**

No, Ash won't catch it. I've already decided who will.

 ** _Any particular cannon pokemon we can expect to see?_**

You'll get to see all of the canon pokemon!

 ** _Ok here is my biggest request on which I will get on my hands and knees for...Please, please, please for the love of Arceus make Giovanni Ash's father (although I think in a previous chapter you mentioned that Ash's father wouldn't be seen until Sinnoh)_**

...I'm not going to reveal such a big spoiler right now!

 ** _Will Ash get Riolu in the distant future? Personally, while I love it, the pokemon is extremely over used. At the same time I can't help but think that since Rota is in Kanto he could find a Riolu or Lucario there._**

Yes he will, but not in Kanto. Oh, and that is if I continue this series (which most probably is yes)

 ** _Will Ash get cubone from the original Lavender town story?_**

That seems like a good idea. However, I guess Ash won't get it but another person will *Wink*Wink*

 ** _Will Ash be getting Legendary's later on? I have mixed feelings about the idea if he does because while I have seen some good ones I have also seen it happen to a ridiculous amount_**

Most probably not.

 ** _How mixed are you going to be in terms of pokemon? For example is Sableye going to be his only out of region pokemon while in Kanto or will there be others? If so I have an alternative psychic for Ash so that is why I want to know (Beldum)_**

No, Amethyst (Sableye) isn't going to be Ash's only out-of-region pokemon.


	11. Bulbasaur and the Hidden Village

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the long wait. Ugh, I hate being sick...**

 **In any case, here is the first chapter of the Kanto Starters Arc! R &R!**

* * *

The group knew that it would still be a while before they would reach Vermillion City – a good two weeks away, in fact. The group was thankful that they had Brock with them. Thanks to his abilities to read a map cook amazing food, they had nothing to worry about.

After they left Cerulean City, they decided to have a nice rest. The camped for a few days outside the city and relaxed, played with their pokémon, slept in and simply enjoyed the scenery with their pokémon.

Right now, they were enjoying the wonderful food Brock had made for them. Ash continued to gobble down plate after plate while Misty gave him a disgusted look and Brock merely chuckled. For their pokémon, Brock had cooked dried and roasted berries that everyone was eating joyfully and peacefully.

Pikachu had already finished his meal but still felt the need for more. Maybe it was because of the training he was undergoing, or simply because he was a greedy slob. Nevertheless, he looked around and analyzed the situation properly.

The mouse pokémon now began to observe the other pokémon who were currently eating their meals. He saw that Pidgeotto had finished eating as well and flew up to a branch of a tree and rested there. Misty's Starmie too had finished eating and now made its way to Misty's pokeball, which it nudged and let itself be recalled. The only pokémon who were still slowly enjoying their food were Amethyst, Butterfree and Brock's Graveler. Geodude and Amethyst were pretty strong, so Pikachu decided that he would dare not steal either of their pokémon food. Butterfree, however, was small and easy to get rid of. Pikachu smirked devilishly and decided to operate his plan.

He then boldly and haughtily started to approach Butterfree, who was smiling and eating his food. Pikachu then swiftly grabbed the bowl and ate the food mannerlessly, surprising Butterfree and then angering him. Butterfree was angered even further when Pikachu smugly grinned at him while the food was still in the rodent's mouth. Butterfree roughly tackled Pikachu to the ground and made him choke on the food in his mouth.

"Chu…!" Pikachu growled as he balled his fists. He grew angry as well and unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt on Butterfree, who swiftly evaded the dangerous attack.

"Huh. What's going on?" Ash muttered as he chomped on his food and looked at the ongoing mock battle. The raven-haired trainer hadn't seen what occurred earlier and thought that Pikachu and Butterfree were simply having a practice session and so simply observed the scene from his place.

Meanwhile, Pikachu and Butterfree were still attacking each other. Pikachu then ran towards Butterfree, trying to deliver a Tackle, but the bug type concentrated his minute psychic potential and stopped Pikachu in his tracks with Confusion. Butterfree then launched a powerful Energy Ball that struck Pikachu on his midsection and sent him flying straight to the tree on which Pidgeotto was perched.

"Free!" Butterfree exclaimed happily as he saw Pikachu groggily standing up. Pikachu then saw Butterfree taunting him and prepared to blast him with a devastating Thunderbolt.

Luckily for Butterfree, a blade of wind suddenly struck Pikachu on his back and knocked him out. Butterfree looked at the source of the Air Cutter in puzzlement but quickly got a grin on his face once he saw Pidgeotto, who had been watching the whole thing from her place, smirking at the fallen Pikachu.

"Free, free, Butterfree!" Butterfree thanked Pidgeotto and greeted her with joy while Pidgeotto just stayed calm and cool on the branch.

Ash frowned at Pidgeotto's interruption but was nevertheless happy that the battle had stopped. He then turned to his companions and said, "I think we should leave tomorrow. Who knows if we can catch some cool and rare pokémon, like the Kanto starters on the way?" He grinned as he looked up at the sky.

Misty snorted. "Yeah, right. As if the starter pokémon will just come to your feet," she scoffed. Misty yawned and then curled up in her sleeping bag while Brock took all the plates and went to wash them.

"Okay, everyone, have a good rest!" Ash called out to his pokémon as he took out his own sleeping bag. He then took out a smaller one for Amethyst, who quickly teleported into it and smiled at Ash.

Ash smiled back. "Good night, buddy."

* * *

"Let's see," Brock muttered as he read the map. "This forest doesn't have anything significant other than some wild pokémon. I see no reason to stay here any longer than we should."

It had been a few minutes since Ash and his friends had stepped into the vast forest. Pidgeotto was flying a bit ahead of them to scout for any dangers.

The rest of the group nodded as they continued to walk. While they were wandering through the foliage, they noticed an Oddish cross their paths.

"Wow, an Oddish!" Ash said as he took out his pokedex.

" **Oddish, the Weed pokémon, is a grass and poison type pokémon,** " the pokedex informed. " **During the day Oddish usually bury themselves underground to avoid the harsh sun and grow by absorbing sunlight. This Oddish is a male.** "

"Aw, it's so cute!" Misty said as she stared at the Oddish, who stared back at her in fear. "I think I'm going to catch him!"

Ash looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you want to be a Water Pokémon Master?"

Misty rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but I can't help myself. Starmie, I choose you!" she called as she sent out the mysterious pokémon.

Starmie spun vertically in the air like a wheel before landing on the ground. It then turned its attention to the Oddish and stared at it with its gem.

"Okay, Starmie, use Water Gun!" Misty ordered.

Starmie suddenly shot a powerful jet of water that struck the wild Oddish and sent him flying away to a tree. Then, without warning, Starmie quickly spun towards Oddish in an attempt to deliver a Rapid Spin attack.

As Starmie started to spin towards Oddish, the weed pokémon started to cry. He felt like he was being punished. All he wanted to do was drink some water because he was thirsty. Not to mention that he was not feeling well either.

Out of the blue, a pair of green vines shot out from the group's left and tied around two of Starmie's 'legs'. Starmie was stopped in its tracks and before it could react it was thrown on the ground harshly. Starmie immediately got up and frantically looked around to identify the pokémon who gave it a sneak attack.

"Bulba, bulba!" a voice growled. The pokémon – a Bulbasaur – then leapt in front of Oddish to protect him from any hard. He glared at Starmie and then at the humans who dared to attack his dear friend.

"Whoa, it's a Bulbasaur!" Ash exclaimed in surprise and in awe. "I wonder if I can catch him!"

Upon hearing this, a vine shot out from under the wild Bulbasaur's bulb and tripped Ash, making him land on his back. As Ash groaned in pain, the Bulbasaur shot razor-sharp leaves at the group and made them duck for cover. He then ran away from the sight, Oddish caught in his vines.

"Oh, no," Misty said sadly, "they got away!"

"Ow…" Ash groaned. "My back…It hurts…"

* * *

After applying an ointment on Ash's back, the group was finally ready to continue with their journey. It had been a few hours since they had encountered the Oddish and the Bulbasaur, and since then they hadn't encountered the duo or another pokémon. They decided that it was best to just forget about the incident and continue with their journey.

The group was now at the end of an old bridge in the middle of the forest that they needed to cross. Ash looked over the cliff and saw that it was a long way down to the powerful stream of water should they fall.

"Do we really need to cross this bridge?" Misty asked fearfully.

Ash frowned. "I don't like it either," he replied, "but this is the only way. We better cross the bridge one at a time."

Brock walked in front of them. "I'll go first," he volunteered.

"Be careful," Misty said as Brock slowly began to make his way across the bridge. Ash, Amethyst and Misty looked nervously at him from behind.

Just then, a strong gust of wind appeared from nowhere, causing the bridge to violently swing from side to side. Brock was beginning to lose his balance and quickly held onto the rope of the bridge.

"Brock!" cried out Ash at once.

Brock was doing his best to hold on, but the wind was too strong. Within second, he topped over the side of the bridge as Misty and Ash looked in horror. Involuntarily, Brock grabbed onto the edge of the bridge but he was struggling to hold on. The bridge mercilessly continued to sway from side to side. In panic, Ash ran onto the bridge to help Brock with Misty right behind him, and the extra weight caused the bridge to snap in half.

"AAAAH!" screamed Brock as he plummeted to his death while Misty and Ash desperately held onto any part of the bridge that he could. Ash and Misty were hanging on for dear life. The half of the bridge slammed against the cliff, giving the duo support to climb back up. Ash quickly jammed his foot against the cliff and climbed back up above, Amethyst perched on his shoulder.

Misty, however, wasn't so lucky. She had no footing like Ash did and held onto the bridge as tightly as she could.

"Misty! Can you climb at all?!" she heard Ash call out. She did her best to climb up, but in vain.

Misty cringed. How on earth was she going to climb back up? Just then, she felt the bridge dislodging an inch down.

Ash looked at his right and saw the rope that held the bridge to the cliff was on the verge of snapping. Fear filled his heart at the thought of another friend of his falling to her death. He lied down on his stomach and held out a hand, saying "Misty! Grab onto my hand! The bridge is about to snap!"

Her heart filled with fear, she immediately grabbed Ash's hand and did her best to climb back up. Amethyst was attempting to help was well by yanking on her fingers.

Then, at the last second, Misty was pulled to the top just as the bridge fell to the bottom. Misty landed on Ash and quickly rolled to the side and heaved a huge sigh of relief.

"Brock…" Misty trailed as she began to sob. She couldn't believe that her friend had gone so quickly.

Ash, however, refused to believe that Brock was gone. "Brock is still alive, and I know it. Let's start searching for him by the water level," he said.

Misty dried her tears and nodded. They weren't going to give up so easily.

* * *

Ash and Misty had spent over two hours looking for Brock. Pidgeotto too was helping by flying in the air and taking in a better view of the forest. After searching for him in the waters for quite some time, Pidgeotto led them to another part of the woods.

Unfortunately, they were so excited in finding Brock that they hadn't noticed a rope that was placed on the ground. The group stepped right into it, which then activated the trap that left them suspended in a net, which was unsurprisingly very tight.

"Hey! Who put this trap here?!" Ash exclaimed in surprise and anger as he struggled to break free from the trap.

"I don't care, Ketchum! Just get your elbow out of my face!" Misty shrieked.

Let's just stay calm and think of a plan," Ash said.

"There are no plans! What are we supposed to do? We can't even reach for our pokéballs because it's so crammed in this net!" Misty retorted.

It was then that the group heard laughter below them. They looked down to see a Bulbasaur below them. It had a smirk of triumph on its face. In fact, it looked just like the one from earlier.

"Hey, Bulbasaur! Could you help us down from here? We are kind of stuck," Ash called out to it.

Bulbasaur shook its head as it continued to smirk at the group. It then turned around to walk into another part of the woods.

"Hey! Wait! You can't just leave us here!" Ash cried out as he watched it leave.

The group soon heard more footsteps approaching. They hoped that whoever it was, they would be able to help them down. To their great relief and happiness, Brock appeared in the clearing and saw the group.

"Brock, you're okay! What happened?" Ash shouted in happiness.

"I'll explain in a little bit. Right now, let's get you guys down from there," Brock told them.

Brock then noticed a part of the rope that was holding the net up by him. He then reached into his backpack and pulled out a small pocket knife. He cut the rope which caused the net fell to the ground where everyone landed with a painful groan, but at least they were free. Brock was then bombarded with questions by the rest of the group.

"How did you survive?"

"Where were you this entire time?"

"How did you know where we were?"

Brock held up his hands for them to calm down. "It's okay. I'll explain everything," he said. He then put a finger over is lips to signal them to be quiet.

"Follow me," he whispered as he turned around to walk off. The group wordlessly followed him.

While they were walking through the forest, Brock decided to relate his experience to the group but still talked quietly. "After I fell into the water, I was carried rapidly down the stream. The current was moving so fast that I was unable to swim at all. I thought I was a goner. Luckily, I was close to the edge of the river and was able to grab onto some rocks I saw in the distance. It was then that the most beautiful girl in the world saw my predicament and rescued me."

"A beautiful girl rescued you? Are you sure you didn't just hit your head and were dreaming?" Misty deadpanned.

"I was not dreaming. It really happened," Brock defended. "After she rescued me from the river, she could see I had various cuts and bruises. She then led me to a small clearing in the forest to her home and treated me there. It's then that I decided to search for you guys. While I was walking through the forest, I heard you guys scream. I followed the noise, and the rest is history."

"I see. Well, we're just glad you're okay," Ash said quietly as they followed Brock.

"Me, too, but why are you telling us to keep quiet?" Misty asked.

"I'm leading you to the hidden place in the forest where I was rescued. This is a secret place to most people, especially trainers. I don't want to compromise its location in case the wrong people hear about it," Brock replied.

The group nodded. It was then that saw a break in the trees ahead. They went through the trees and entered into a small but sufficient clearing which consisted of a pond and log cabin.

The group spotted a teenage girl roughly the same age as Brock tending to some pokémon. Upon hearing the footsteps behind her, she turned around and smiled once she saw Brock.

"Hello, Brock. Welcome back," she said pleasantly.

The group took in her appearance. She was thin and had long blue hair that was tied into a ponytail and held by a large yellow bow. She also wore a red headband on her head and had blue eyes. Brock was right. This girl was relatively pretty, but that was beside the point.

"Thank you," Brock replied as he and the rest of group stopped a short distance from the girl. "Melanie, I'd like you to meet my friends. This is Ash and Misty."

"So your Brock's friends! He told me all about you," Melanie smiled.

"That's great!" Ash replied. He then noticed the dozen or so small pokémon that were gathered around the area. "So do all of these pokémon belong to you?"

"Oh, no," Melanie said. "This is a place where pokémon can come anytime they need rest."

"So is it like a camp?" Ash asked.

"Not exactly," Brock decided to respond this time. "Whenever pokémon become injured or abandoned, they can come here and Melanie takes care of them. Then they leave when they feel better."

"I see," Misty said. "So this is like a Pokémon Centre and Melanie's a Pokémon Doctor?"

"Oh, no," Melanie said as she giggled. "I don't have the qualifications to be a Pokémon Doctor. I just take care of the pokémon that come here." She then went over to pet some of the pokémon with her back to the group.

"Melanie collects plants around the village to use for medicine," Brock told them. "She knows all about what type of plants can help which pokémon."

"It seems like you both love taking care of pokémon," Misty commented.

"We sure do," Brock agreed. He then gave a somewhat longing expression at Melanie while she wasn't looking.

Misty noticed this and got a sly look on her face. "You like her, don't you Brock?" she asked deviously.

Brock blushed and put both his hands over her mouth. "Quiet! She might hear you!" he whispered harshly.

Ash suddenly realized something. "So was that net that captured us earlier set by you, Melanie?" he asked, but not in an accusing way.

Melanie turned around and got an apologetic look on her face. "Yes. It was me. You see, I have to protect the pokémon here so I must capture trainers before they enter the village," she confirmed.

"Yeah, I made a promise to Melanie that we wouldn't try to capture any pokémon while we are here," Brock told them.

"That's a promise I can keep," Ash reassured with a smile.

"Yeah, me too," Misty accepted.

"Melanie, you wouldn't mind to share a few of your healing techniques, would you?" Brock asked out of the blue.

Melanie smiled. "Of course not – I'd be happy to do so!"

As Brock went with Melanie inside the cabin, Ash and Misty were left to do their own things. Misty noticed how calm this place was and how happy all the pokémon were. It was then that she noticed a particular pokémon eyeing her from behind the bush.

It was an Oddish. The same Oddish that Misty had tried to capture.

Misty approached the pokémon and knelt in front of him. Oddish backed away and looked at Misty, fearing that she would do something to him. Misty simply smiled at him and affectionately patted him on the head.

"Hi, Oddish," Misty said to him. The Oddish simply eyed her carefully. "I'm sorry for what happened earlier. If I had known the situation then—"

Misty was interrupted as the ground between her and Oddish erupted and a Sandshrew burst forth. The Sandshrew looked tired and had wounds on his hide. Sandshrew looked at Misty carefully until she recognized him.

"Wait," she slowly said, "Aren't you the same Sandshrew we met in Mount Moon?" The Sandshrew nodded. "Are you trying to follow us?"

Instead, the Sandshrew threw a handful of mud at her and quickly rolled away. Misty shrieked as she wiped the mud off her face.

It was then that she heard a low growl from behind. Misty turned back just in time to see a Bulbasaur tacking her right on her stomach, making her land painfully on her back. Misty groaned in pain as Bulbasaur stood in front of Oddish in a protective manner.

"Ow," Misty muttered in pain while Brock, Melanie and Ash ran towards her to help her.

"Hey! You're that same Bulbasaur! It seems like you're asking for a battle!" Ash exclaimed as he took out a pokeball from his belt.

"No! Please, wait!" Melanie cried out. "Bulbasaur was only trying to protect Oddish!"

Ash looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Melanie sighed. "This Bulbasaur has been here for quite some time. His trainer abandoned him here around three weeks ago. Since then, he has volunteered to be the protector of this village," she explained. "He is always willing to help out a pokémon in need. Unfortunately, he does too good of a job. Some pokémon feel so safe that they don't go back into the wild.

"Despite all of his strengths, he is very distrusting of humans," Melanie added.

"Then I'll just have to earn his trust! I don't care how long it takes," Ash muttered.

"I hope so. In the meantime, why don't you all come in and study all the medicines with me?" she asked.

Ash and Misty nodded and followed the rest back to the cabin. Bulbasaur too decided to follow the group, if not to keep an eye on the humans.

* * *

It turned out that the group was learning a lot from Melanie. She had showed them the various types of plants that she uses and what each one does. She even did a few demonstrations of how she turns the plants into medicine for the pokémon. She then let the group try it out themselves. The group was learning a lot and figured this would be very useful in case there were no Pokémon Centres close by and they needed to heal their pokémon quickly.

As Bulbasaur watched the group, it couldn't help but be curious about these humans. They were unlike the trainer that had once owned him. Melanie had been the only human he trusted for a long time, but maybe these ones weren't so bad, either. The trainer called Ash especially intrigued him.

Amethyst seemed to notice Bulbasaur's stare and hopped down from her position on Ash's shoulder to converse with him. Amethyst told Bulbasaur about how she was very distrustful of humans at first, as well.

Amethyst then went on to tell him what a great trainer Ash was and that she couldn't have asked for a better trainer. Because of him, she was now a lot more accepting of humans. Bulbasaur then looked at Ash again and decided to test out Pikachu's claim. He went over and decided to help Ash by using his vines to hand him different ingredients that he needed while making the medicine.

"Oh, thank you, Bulbasaur!" Ash said gratefully as he accepted the things Bulbasaur was handing him.

Bulbasaur smiled as he watched Ash and the rest of the group make the medicine. Once they were done, Melanie asked Bulbasaur if he would like to be the taste tester, to which he agreed. It turned out they had done the medicine pretty well. Of course, they weren't as good as Melanie with the exception of Brock, but still perfectly acceptable, especially if any of their pokémon were in danger.

"That was pretty courageous of you to try our medicine for the first time, Bulbasaur. I think it's a really great thing you do for this village with how you always stand up for the pokémon. You would be a great pokémon for anyone to have," Ash told him, causing Bulbasaur to smile and blush at his remark.

"Ash, don't you think Bulbasaur would be a great addition to your team?" Melanie asked him.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked curiously.

"Bulbasaur still has a lot of growing to do. Unfortunately, this village is too small for him to reach his full potential. He definitely needs a trainer – a good one – who is going to take great care of him. I believe that trainer is you, Ash," Melanie said.

"What about this village then? Doesn't Bulbasaur have to protect it?" Ash asked.

"Bulbasaur has always done a great job protecting this village since the time he has come, no matter how short it was, and I will certainly miss him, but this would be what is best for him," Melanie replied. "Also, Bulbasaur can't stay in this village forever. If he does, so will the pokémon as they will be too comfortable. It's when a pokémon leaves this village in great condition that is most rewarding to me. Please take Bulbasaur with you. I know you won't regret it."

"In that case, I would love to have Bulbasaur on my team! Welcome to the group! I'm happy to have a brave pokémon like you!" Ash said happily.

"Bulbasaur," he said happily back to him before running a short distance away from Ash.

"Teehee, it seems Bulbasaur would like to battle you first," Melanie said to him. "I normally don't like battles in this village, but I will make an exception this time."

* * *

A few minutes later, everyone was standing outside. Ash and Pikachu stood on one end, and Bulbasaur stood on the other. Serena, Brock, Misty, and Melanie stood off to the side to watch. Amethyst had been the one who decided she wanted to battle Bulbasaur. She wanted to show Bulbasaur that she was true to her words about Ash being a great trainer.

After about ten seconds of staring at each other, Ash made his move.

"Amethyst, use Shadow Claw!" Ash called.

Amethyst's right arm was surrounded in a black aura which then extended to make a gigantic claw. Amethyst slashed at Bulbasaur and made him skid a few feet away from his previous position. Bulbasaur then quickly brought out his vines and wrapped them around Amethyst's wrists, ankles and neck, strangling her. Amethyst struggled to perform a Teleport, but if she did then Bulbasaur would be taken with her.

"Amethyst, try to break free!" suggested Ash.

Amethyst then did something completely new to the group. The shadow below her extended and zoomed towards Bulbasaur until it was behind him. Then, a burst of energy erupted from the ground under Bulbasaur from Amethyst's shadows. Bulbasaur was thrown in the air and was startled, loosening the grip on Amethyst.

"Whoa! What was that?!" Ash asked in amazement.

" **Shadow Sneak: The user extends its shadow and attacks the target from behind. This move always goes first,** " the pokedex described.

When in the air, Bulbasaur shot out vines and wrapped them around a nearby tree. The vines made him swing around the tree and carefully land on the ground. The seed pokémon then shot a flurry of sharp leaves at Amethyst.

"Amethyst, dodge them with Teleport!" Ash commanded.

Amethyst nodded and quickly started to teleport from place to place, evading all of the Razor Leaves. Bulbasaur was quick enough to use Vine Whip and lash Amethyst on her back, making her cringe in pain.

"Amethyst, jump in the air and shoot Night Shades at Bulbasaur's feet!" Ash ordered.

Amethyst then leapt high enough in the air, evading the next volley of Razor Leaves. Amethyst then shot two thick, black beams from her eyes that struck the ground near Bulbasaur's forelegs. The beams of dark energy made mud fly out from the ground and blind Bulbasaur.

Taking this chance, Ash commanded: "Now, Brick Break!"

Amethyst now began to fall down towards the ground at an incredible speed. Amethyst's fist glowed white and she delivered a swift chop on Bulbasaur's forehead, making him let out a huge groan of pain. Ash knew that he would have to take this chance before Bulbasaur's ability, Overgrow, would be activated. "Go pokeball!" he cried out as he threw out a spare one towards Bulbasaur.

The pokeball bounced against Bulbasaur's green bulb and sucked him inside. The red-and-white sphere shook back and forth a few times before it 'dinged', signalling Ash's latest capture.

"Awesome! We got Bulbasaur!" Ash cheered.

"Sa Sableye!" cried Amethyst as she jumped onto Ash's shoulder.

A tear slid down Melanie's cheek. "I'm going to miss you, Bulbasaur," she muttered as she drew a sad smile on her face.

* * *

Melanie had allowed the group to rest at the hidden village for the night since it had been getting very late for the group to travel. They had spent the rest of the day playing with the pokémon, especially Bulbasaur, considering that it would probably be his last day with the pokémon in the village.

It was now early in the morning, and the group was ready to set out on their journey once again.

"Thank you for all you showed us, Melanie. It'll be a great help on our journey," Ash said as he expressed gratitude.

Melanie then bent down and looked at Bulbasaur, who was currently out of his pokeball, with a sad smile. "Thank you for everything you've done, Bulbasaur. I will miss you."

"Bulba…" Bulbasaur said a little sadly.

"Hey, Bulbasaur," Ash said, making Bulbasaur look at him. "Do you want a nickname?"

Bulbasaur grinned. "Bulba, bulba Bulbasaur!" he agreed enthusiastically.

"Okay, let's see…" Ash rubbed his chin as he was in deep thought. "Toby…?" Bulbasaur shook his head. "How's 'Sprout'?" The seed pokémon shook his head again. "What about 'Vine'?" Ash asked with a goofy grin. Bulbasaur deadpanned.

"Seriously, Ash, if you come up with such useless nicknames what are you going to call your kid?" Misty mocked.

"Shut up!" he snapped. Ash blushed in embarrassment.

"What about 'Bacchus', Bulbasaur?" Brock decided to suggest a nickname this time. Bulbasaur paused for a moment before he nodded, accepting the nickname. Brock smiled.

"Bacchus it is!" Ash exclaimed.

"Hey, Melanie, since Bulbasaur won't be around any more, I would absolutely love to stay and take care of the village with you!" Brock exclaimed as he got a goofy expression.

"That is a very kind offer," Melanie said as she smiled.

"Really?" asked Brock hopefully.

"But I don't want to keep you away from your dream. You should continue your journey and become a certified Pokémon Breeder," she added.

"Oh, okay," Brock said dejectedly, and the group could make out that he was disappointed.

"Well, goodbye Melanie. Thanks for everything!" Ash said as he and the group waved.

"Goodbye!" Melanie called as she waved back, smiling as the group disappeared out of the forest.

* * *

 **So that's that! Sorry to any of the folks that liked Bulbasaur without a nickname, but I think that it will create a better bond between Ash and his pokemon. Yes, there will be nicknames for Charmander and Squirtle too, although I'm holding back on the one for Squirtle. If you guys have any suggestions, you can PM it to me or leave it in a review!**

 **Oh, and if you readers are curious about Bulbasaur's ex-trainer, you'll get to know about him when Ash reaches Vermillion City.**

 **As always, please leave a review and tell me about your thoughts on the chapter. I'll see you in the next chapter: Charmander, the Stray Pokemon!**


	12. Charmander, the Stray Pokémon

**Hello everyone! Here is chapter eleven, where Ash captures Charmander. Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon.**

* * *

It had been a week since the group had left Cerulean City, and they were making great progress towards the populated area. However, they were still quite far away from Vermillion City, giving them another good week until they reached the city.

During their journey, Ash had battled a few trainers along the road to help raise his pokémon. Ash had made sure to use his newly-acquired Bulbasaur, Bacchus, to test out his battle strength. Bacchus declared to be an able and strong battler even though he hadn't had a lot of training. Ash was really happy to have him in his team.

"I can't wait to get to Vermillion City and get a nice tan," Misty commented as the group walked along the dusty path.

"And I can't wait to get my third Badge!" Ash said.

It was then that the group noticed an enormous rock right in the middle of the path, casting a huge shadow. It wasn't the rock that interested them, but what was resting on it. The creature was a Charmander.

"Wow, a Charmander!" Ash exclaimed as he scanned the pokémon. "It would be so cool to actually get one."

"You wanted a Charmander, Ash?" Misty asked.

Ash rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Actually, I wanted a Squirtle, but right now I'm really happy the way things turned out to be. Amethyst is awesome and better than any pokémon!" he said.

Amethyst grinned at the praise. "Why don't you capture this Charmander then? It looks like a wild pokémon to me," Misty observed.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed. He was just about to take out Lateralus' pokeball, but Brock stopped him.

"Wait," Brock said. "Take a look at the flame on his tail. He looks really weak. I don't think that the best idea at the moment is battling him."

Ash took a closer look at the Charmander and saw that the flame was almost unnoticeable. Furthermore, there were scabs and bruises all over the Charmander's body.

"I think it should capture him and take him to the Pokémon Center," Ash suggested. He then took out a spare pokeball and threw it at the wild Charmander.

The pokémon saw the pokeball coming and immediately slapped it back to Ash with his thick tail. The ball bounced back into Ash's hand and he looked at the Charmander questioningly.

"Huh. This Charmander doesn't seem so weak. Maybe Amethyst should battle him," Ash suggested.

Misty nodded while Brock shook his head in disagreement. "I don't think that's a good idea, Ash. Why don't you try throwing a pokeball one more time?"

Ash nodded his head and threw another of his spare pokéballs at the Charmander. This time, the pokeball hit the Charmander and sucked him in. However, the Charmander easily broke free from the pokeball and then glared at the group.

"I don't think Charmander wants to come with us. But what seems to be the problem?" Misty asked.

Ash shrugged. "I don't know. Amethyst, why don't you talk to that Charmander?" Ash asked.

Amethyst nodded and immediately jumped off Ash's shoulder. The Charmander continued to glare at the group until he saw Amethyst walking up to him. Amethyst then began to converse with the Charmander, who decided to comply and explained the situation to her. Once she saw done, the Sableye climbed back down the rock and went towards her trainer.

"So what's the story, Amethyst?" Ash asked.

Amethyst started to make various gestures and expressions, which led to Misty's and Brock's confusion. Ash, being her trainer, was able to understand the Sableye and quickly got to know off the situation.

"Oh, so Charmander is already owned by a trainer," Ash deduced, "and that his trainer had promised to come back for him. Am I right?" he asked. Amethyst nodded to signal that her trainer was correct.

Brock sighed. "Then there's nothing we can do here except for wait for the trainer to come back and collect this Charmander. Judging by the flame on his tail, he's been waiting here for a long time. The trainer should definitely start taking better care of his or her pokémon," Brock said with a hint of disdain in his voice.

Ash agreed. "According to the map, there's a Pokémon Centre nearby. We can spend the night there. We can even check on the Charmander to make sure if his trainer has come back for him," Ash said.

Misty and Brock agreed to the plan as they made their way to their rest stop.

* * *

The group was now staring at the structure in front of them. Half an hour had passed since they had encountered the Charmander. The sky was dark and it was raining heavily. However, the lights in the Pokémon Centre illuminated the area and Ash and his friends entered the building. To their surprise, they saw a familiar face reading a newspaper on a couch.

"Leaf!" called out Ash as soon as he saw the brunette.

Leaf's head immediately rose as soon as she heard her name being called out. A grin spilt across her face as she saw Ash, Brock and Misty walking towards her. "Hey, Ash! I was hoping to meet you guys in Vermillion City, but it's great to see you guys here!" She walked over to Ash and gave him a bone-crushing hug.

"Choking…Can't…breathe…" Ash choked out.

"So what's up, Ash?" she said as she released him.

Ash took a few seconds to catch his breath. "I got my second Gym Badge. And it turned out that Misty was the Gym Leader of Cerulean City!"

Leaf gaped at her for a few moments before turning to look at Ash. "Anyway, Ash, that's great! I'm so happy for you! In any case, I met a guy named Bill and he showed me his pokémon collection! I filled up so many pages of the pokedex! And I caught so many new pokémon, too!"

"That's awesome!" Ash exclaimed.

A few minutes passed by as Leaf talked about how many pokémon she had encountered. It was after she had stopped talking that they overheard a bunch of teenagers talking loudly and roaring in laughter obnoxiously in another corner of the Pokémon Centre. One of the boys, who was wearing stylish clothes and had blue hair, was standing in the middle of the group with his pokéballs set on a table as he looked at his friends with an arrogant smirk on his face. Ash was sure that he had seen him somewhere, and quite recently too.

"That's an amazing collection of pokémon you have there, Damien!" one of the boys said.

The boy known as Damien laughed. "I know…I am the greatest, after all!" he proclaimed.

Ash and Leaf rolled their eyes. This boy strongly reminded them of their very own Gary Oak.

"And they're so strong too! You must've taken a long time to train them," another admired.

Damien gave a short, barking laugh. "Of course, my pokémon are the best of the best. I don't have time for weak and useless pokémon; they can rot in hell. That's why I got rid of my Charmander, that worthless piece of shit," Damien scoffed.

Ash took back what he thought about comparing the boy with Gary. This boy was a million times worse than him. At least Gary took care of his pokémon and wouldn't get rid of them!

Ash and Brock immediately got a glare on their faces while Leaf and Misty scowled at the boy. "What a horrible person," Misty muttered.

"How did you get rid of that Charmander, Damien?" one of the teenagers asked.

Damien rolled his eyes. "I crushed his pokeball and then left him on some rock," he replied.

Was this the trainer of the Charmander that they had encountered earlier?

"Anyway, who cares? That thing was so stupid. He kept following me whenever I tried to lose him. Finally I told him that I'd come back for him later, the loser," he continued.

The group had had enough. Brock and Ash stormed towards where the boy was standing, and Brock grabbed Damien by the collar and pulled him closer.

"Go and get your pokémon back!" Brock commanded.

A teenager pushed Damien and Brock apart and glared at the rock type trainer. "Don't mess with Damien! He will crush you!" he threatened.

"How could you leave a pokémon like that?!" demanded Ash. "You should be lucky that you have a pokémon that's so loyal! It's even raining now!"

"If the flame on a Charmander's tail goes out, it dies," Brock whispered dangerously through clenched teeth.

"Why should I care?!" Damien asked.

"You're a horrible person!" Ash shouted. "You should care because you're his trainer! You can't just let that Charmander die like that!"

"I released that loser. I'm not gonna take responsibility for what happens to him now," Damien replied coldly.

"Ugh. You make me sick," Leaf commented.

"Are you jerks looking for a fight?!" Damien roared as he reached for a pokeball. He was about to send out the pokémon within, but Nurse Joy intervened and interrupted the argument.

"That's enough! Break it up. I will not have trainers using pokémon to settle their own personal fights," Nurse Joy scolded.

Damien then broke free from Brock's grasp and glared at them. "If you're so concerned about Charmander, why don't you go and get him? Considering he's still alive, that is," Damien said with a smirk.

Ash and Brock were about to pounce on him, but Leaf and Misty held them back.

"I've never met someone so vile in my entire life," Ash commented.

"Forget that. We need to get that Charmander before it's too late! Let's go!" Brock told them as he removed his raincoat from his backpack.

* * *

"Come on, guys!" Ash hollered. "Charmander has to be here somewhere!"

It was raining heavily in the forest. Every member of the group was wearing their raingear in an attempt to find Charmander. They really hoped that Charmander hadn't gone anywhere and was still on the rock.

Once the group reached the spot, they let out a collective gasp in horror at what they saw. Charmander, who was roughed up, had curled up in a ball and was doing his best to cover his tail with a large leaf. It wasn't very large, but it was big enough to cover the flame on Charmander's tail. However, it didn't seem to do much work as the leaf was slowly beginning to catch fire by the tail to disintegrate into ashes. It wouldn't be long before the flame would completely go out. To make it worse, a few Spearow were attacking and ruthlessly pecking at Charmander.

"Pidgeotto, drive them away with Whirlwind!" Ash called out as he tossed Pidgeotto's pokeball in the air.

Pidgeotto burst forth from the pokeball and immediately flapped her wings to drive the Spearow away.

The four then rushed over to Charmander. Brock and Ash took off their raincoats to cover Charmander as they took him to the Pokémon Centre. Brock's raincoat covered Charmander's body while Ash's covered his tail. This time, Charmander didn't resist the two as they picked him up. The group then rushed back to the Pokémon Centre as fast as they could.

"Come on, Charmander. You can't die so easily," Ash mumbled to himself.

Right then, Brock slipped on the wet ground and landed face-first into a puddle of mud. He groaned in pain as he began to get up. He turned up to look at Ash, who was standing there and looking at Brock. "Go, Ash!" Brock called out as Misty helped him up. "I'll be right behind you."

Ash nodded while Leaf ran up to him and covered Charmander's body with Brock's raincoat. The duo then continued to make their way towards the Pokémon Centre. The two trainers then burst through the doors of the centre, panting heavily.

"Is everything okay?!" Nurse Joy asked concernedly as she rushed towards Leaf and Ash.

"Nurse Joy, this Charmander needs help!" Ash answered.

Nurse Joy looked at Charmander and gasped. "There isn't much time," she mumbled as she grabbed Charmander from Ash and rushed to the emergency room, Leaf and Ash right behind.

"I hope it's not too late," Ash said worriedly.

"We've done all we can. We just have to wait for Nurse Joy to fix up everything," Leaf told Ash.

Right then, Brock and Misty entered the Pokémon Centre and walked up to Ash and Leaf.

"Is Charmander all right?!" Brock asked immediately.

Ash simply gave a nod, to which Brock and Misty sighed in relief. Brock then headed up to his room in the Pokémon Centre to wash off all the mud on his clothes and body.

* * *

Brock, Misty and Leaf were now sitting on one of the benches outside the emergency room while Ash was pacing along the corridor. Ash thoughts were filled with anger and rage because of Damien and anxiety for Charmander. He had spent half an hour waiting for Nurse Joy to come out from the room. A moment later, the doors of the emergency room were opened and Nurse Joy came out with a smile on her face.

The group rushed up to her quickly. "Is Charmander all right, Nurse Joy?" Ash asked.

Nurse Joy nodded. "Yes. Charmander is all right; he'll make it alive. However, he still is in critical condition so I will still have to take care of him for the whole night," she said.

At that, Ash heaved a sigh of relief. He then remembered another thing. "Um, Nurse Joy, the thing is that Charmander was abandoned by his trainer, so…"

Nurse Joy smiled. "Don't worry. I'll happily look after him. I will make sure he finds a good home."

"Oh, Nurse Joy!" cried out Brock as he knelt on one knee. "You are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, thank you. Heheheh…" Nurse Joy said nervously.

"Perhaps we can – YEOWCH!" Brock was interrupted as Misty tugged harshly on his ear to drag him away, making him squeal in pain.

"Shut up, Brock." Misty rolled her eyes. "Control yourself."

Brock did nothing but whimper as he was dragged away from Nurse Joy. He never had anyone drag him away like that. It seemed like the group could count on Misty to keep Brock under control.

"In any case, you can rest easy. The buffet will be set up anytime now, so run along!" Nurse Joy said as she walked back into the emergency room.

It was then that Damien happened to pass the group.

"I hope you're happy that Charmander is in critical condition right now," Ash whispered to him as he balled his fists.

Damien simply shrugged. "Whatever. I'm just going to get a good night's sleep so don't bother me, or else you'll regret it." Damien smirked and continued on his way.

Ash gritted his teeth and dug his nails into his palm. He wished that he could beat up this guy to a pulp right now. Ash forced himself to relax. He had no choice but to wait for Charmander to get better.

* * *

The group had spent the night sleeping on the couches of the lobby instead of sleeping in their rooms. After a hearty breakfast, they made their way to the emergency room to check up on Charmander.

Charmander was healthier indeed – the bright, burning flame on his tail proved that. All the scabs, cuts and bruises on his body had been healed. However, Charmander seemed to be trying to escape the room as he continued to scratch at the windows.

"Charmander, why are you trying to escape?" Ash asked in confusion.

Charmander flinched at the voice and slowly turned at the group. He then guiltily hung his head as he sat on the floor.

"You were trying to get to Damien, weren't you?" Brock guessed. Charmander guiltily nodded and turned to look out of the window.

Charmander," Ash said, trying to gain the flame pokémon's attention, but in vain. "Charmander!" repeated Ash, this time a lot louder, startling Charmander. "Listen. I hate to break it to you, but Damien isn't going to come back for you," Ash told him.

Leaf rested her hand on Ash's shoulder. "Don't, Ash. You're making it worse," she said.

"No! Charmander has the right to know the truth!" Ash said.

"It's natural that you feel loyal to Damien," Brock said softly. "But I don't think he ever intended to come back for you. We had a…talk yesterday. We just don't want you to get sick again."

"Yeah, Charmander," Misty agreed. "Unlike Damien, we actually care about you."

"Anyway, it's your decision. Just don't forget what we told you," Ash added.

Charmander hesitated for a minute. He looked through the window and then back at the group of four. He undoubtedly knew that the people in front of him cared about him – he knew that because they saved his life last night. These people radiated warmth and happiness from within. However, he wasn't so sure he could say the same for his trainer/ex-trainer. Damien had never liked him, or any of the other pokémon the trainer owned. Not once did he recall the blue-haired teenager saying a kind word to him. He always called him weak, worthless, pathetic, a loser, or any other derogatory terms he could find whenever the fire type would lose a battle. Never had Damien even tried to bond with him. Never had Damien stopped his other pokémon from beating the Charmander to a pulp. And even if Charmander would win a battle, Damien never told him that he did a good job.

Even though he knew these things, Charmander figured that Damien wasn't so bad. Every person had a little amount of good within themselves; let it be humans or pokémon. He just had to try.

"You're a great pokémon, Charmander," Ash told him. "But like I said – it's your choice. You can either come with us or go back to Damien," Ash said with a smile.

Charmander nodded and weakly smiled back at Ash. However, his mind was made up. He would go back to Damien. Charmander then let out a soft growl as he walked out of the emergency room.

"Damien, that bastard," Brock growled soft enough for no one to hear him.

"I can't believe Charmander is still loyal to that guy!" Ash exclaimed as he threw his arms about in frustration. "If I could just find him…"

"Forget it, Ash," Leaf said. "He's not worth it."

"Yeah…Let's leave for Vermillion City before it's too late," Misty said.

Ash sighed and nodded. But he just couldn't get Charmander out of his head.

* * *

"Char…" Charmander muttered as he climbed up the enormous rock. He couldn't believe his luck. There, he got a chance to be with a good trainer, but here he was waiting for Damien. Charmander was now beginning to doubt whether Damien even wanted him from the start.

"Char, Charmander char," Charmander said as he curled up into a ball. He would wait for Damien. It could be any moment now before Damien appeared right beside him.

Charmander's eyes then widened as he saw a group of several teenagers, quite a lot of meters away from him, walking towards the rock he was resting on. He narrowed his eyes, and he saw a mass of blue hair on one of the teenagers' head. Damien was coming for him!

Charmander immediately jumped down the rock and started to run towards the large group. As far as it was, Charmander would run up to his trainer who kept his word. Charmander then stopped a few feet away from the humans, who stopped in their tracks and looked at the Charmander.

Damien cocked his eyebrows. "What the hell is he doing here…" he grumbled under his breath.

"Chaaaaar!" the flame pokémon cried out as he ran towards Damien and hugged his leg. Damien was surprised at this show of affection, and the surprise turned into anger and rage as soon as his friends laughed heartily at the scene. Damien immediately kicked Charmander away from his leg, and Charmander flew a few feet away before landing hard on his back.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, huh?" Damien roared as he unclipped two pokéballs. Charmander looked at Damien in confusion at the action.

"Char?" he whimpered.

"Get the hell away from here, or I'll make you!" Damien ordered. Charmander instead slowly took a step towards Damien, but he quickly regretted the decision.

Damien instinctively tossed the two pokéballs in the air, which sent out a Drowzee and a Golbat. Charmander flinched upon seeing the two pokémon as a shiver went up his spin, while the Drowzee and Golbat smirked at him. These were the two pokémon who would torment him and had the most experience on the team. Charmander slowly stepped back and was about to run, but Damien was quicker.

"Drowzee, use Psychic and keep him in the air!" Damien ordered in a harsh tone. "Golbat, Air Cutter! Teach him a lesson!"

"Drowzeeeee…" Drowzee mumbled in a deep voice as he started to move his arms in a wave motion. His eyes glowed blue as Charmander was enveloped in an aura of the same color that lifted him up in the air. Then, the psychic force started to tighten around him as Charmander looked at Drowzee's sadistic grin.

Golbat then swiftly slashed a wing in the air, creating a blade of wind that soared towards Charmander. The crescent-shaped blade then slashed Charmander on his stomach, making him double over in pain. Drowzee then stopped his telekinetic powers, making Charmander tumble to the ground.

"Loser," Damien said, loud enough for Charmander to hear it. Damien then snorted as he continued on his way back to the Pokémon Centre, leaving Charmander on the ground in pain.

* * *

Ash, Brock, Misty and Leaf were now walking towards the same spot where they first met Charmander. They wanted to see if Damien had indeed taken him back or if he was left for dead.

"So you're coming with us, then?" Ash asked Leaf.

Leaf nodded with a smile. "Yes, I am. My next stop is Vermillion, then Celadon, and then Fuchsia City. I've heard that the Safari Zone there just got a shipment of rare pokémon from Johto." Her cheeks then started to get a tinge of red. The idea of travelling with Ash certainly sounded fun.

"Hmm, that sounds inter—Hey, is that Charmander over there?!" Brock exclaimed.

Ash, Misty and Leaf's eyes widened. They then looked in the direction in which Brock was pointing and they saw an orange figure lying on the ground, exhausted and hurt.

Ash immediately ran towards the unconscious Charmander and held him in his arms. "Charmander, wake up!"

Charmander blinked slowly and looked at Ash. "Char…" he said groggily. The Air Cutter from before was still hurting him and he could barely move. Charmander was happy that these humans were going to help him.

"Charmander, what happened?" Ash asked.

"Ash, I don't think asking him questions is the best thing right now. We better take him to the Pokémon Centre while we can," Brock said.

Ash nodded. He had a bad feeling about this. He was wondering if Damien was behind Charmander's bad condition. Whatever the case, Charmander needed help. He just hoped that the flame pokémon wouldn't get into more situations like this.

* * *

"Ash Ketchum, your Charmander is in perfect condition. You can collect him now," Nurse Joy said.

Ash nodded and walked to the desk of the Pokémon Centre, where Nurse Joy gave Ash Charmander's temporary pokeball. He took it and then walked out of the Centre, Brock and Misty and Leaf following behind, where he sent out Charmander. Charmander stretched his arms once he was set out and he then turned towards the group and gave them a grateful look.

"Charmander, what happened?" was that first thing that Ash asked. Charmander looked at the ground and nervously shifted his feet. "How did you get hurt so badly?"

Charmander sighed before he told the whole story to Amethyst, who was resting on Ash's shoulder, using actions and various expressions. Amethyst then told the story to Ash in the same way, who understood his pokémon's actions.

Ash gasped. "Oh my god…!"

"What happened, Ash?" Brock asked.

"Charmander said that Damien beat him up when he finally met Damien," Ash said through gritted teeth.

"See, Charmander? We told you that Damien doesn't care about you. He's not worthy of you," Brock told Charmander in anger.

Charmander hung his head in sadness. Maybe these humans were right. Damien had never acted this way towards him, even though he seemed to be cruel and heartless. Now he had nowhere to go.

"You're an amazing pokémon, Charmander, and anyone would be really lucky to have you," Ash said. "Why don't you show us how powerful you are?"

Charmander looked out of the window for a last time and then turned towards the group. With a big smile, he nodded and they set out for outside the Pokémon Centre.

* * *

The group was now outside the Pokémon Centre, training with Charmander. Ash and Brock had set up several targets ranging from stationary dummies to moving targets. Even their pokémon helped the two boys to set up the targets. Once they were done, Ash smiled at Charmander and nodded towards him. Charmander then began his barrage of attacks.

"Alright, Charmander," Ash said. "Show us how strong you are!"

Charmander nodded and set off to destroy the targets. He used various attacks on the moving targets, from Ember to Dragon Rage. Charmander had perfect accuracy on both moving and stationary targets.

"Awesome!" Ash exclaimed. "Now, Charmander, attack those dummies!"

Charmander then sprinted towards the standing dummies and used a range of attacks from fire moves to Metal Claws and Scratch attacks. It wasn't long before the dummies were utterly destroyed and Charmander was standing victoriously over one of them.

"That was amazing!" Ash called out. "We knew you were a super-powerful pokémon."

Charmander smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his and tried to hide the blush on his cheeks.

"Hey, Charmander, if you'd like, you can come with us. It'd be amazing to have a pokémon like you with me," Ash recommended.

Brock nodded. "I think Ash would be the perfect trainer for you. He did cover the flame on your tail when you were in the rain, after all," he said.

Charmander looked down. A few moments before, he wouldn't go with them because he still seemed to trust Damien. Now, however, they wouldn't have to ask him twice. He grinned at the group and nodded in agreement.

"Hey, Charmander, I've been looking for you," a familiar voice said.

Ash grimaced as soon as he heard the voice. The group collectively turned towards the source and saw Damien with a forced smile on his face.

Brock glared at him. "What do you want?"

Damien smirked. "I'm here to get my friend back, after all!"

The group gasped. "WHAT?!" the group exclaimed in pure shock.

Damien ignored the comment. "Let's go, Charmander."

"Wait a minute," Ash said. "What's with this sudden change? Last night you didn't even care if Charmander died. And today itself you beat him up! What's going on, huh?" Ash asked in suspicion.

"That was before I saw how strong he was," Damien explained. "I saw you idiots training him, and he's a lot better than I thought. He's mine now."

"So you're only taking him back because he's strong and not because you care about him?!" Ash asked in disbelief.

"That's right," Damien said with a grin. "Leaving him on the rock was the best thing ever. It's even great that you trained him so that I don't have to take the troubles of going through the same stuff," he added.

"You see, Charmander? This guy only wants you because of how strong you are. He doesn't care about you or your well-being! He's just using you to win battles," Brock said.

The smile soon faded. "Are you trying to keep my pokémon away from me?"

"You don't deserve him!" Ash retorted.

"You can't keep him away from me!" Damien yelled. "He's my pokémon!"

Ash smirked. "You destroyed his pokeball! He's not yours anymore!"

Damien stomped his foot in frustration. "Let's have a pokémon battle to settle this. If I win, I get to keep Charmander. If you win, you get to keep him," Damien said as he took out a pokeball.

"Okay then!" Ash agreed with determination.

"Golbat, come out!" Damien roared as he sent out a large, bat-like creature with a long mouth.

"A Golbat…" the raven-haired boy muttered as he flipped open his pokedex.

" **Golbat, the bat pokémon, is a dual poison and flying type and the evolved form of Zubat,** " the pokedex said. " **Once it starts sucking blood, it does not stop until it is full. It flies at night in search of prey. This Golbat is a female.** "

 _A poison type,_ Ash thought. _Lateralus will be the perfect choice for this._ Ash was about to reach for the Porygon's pokeball, but to his and everyone else's surprise, Charmander stepped in front of him.

"You want to battle against Damien?" Ash asked Charmander, and the pokémon nodded.

Damien looked amused. "You want to battle against me, your owner?" He laughed. "This is going to be fun! I'll make you pay, you loser!"

"Come on, Ash! Beat this weirdo!" Leaf cheered.

Misty nodded and drew a determined expression on her face. "That's right, Ash! Teach him a lesson he'll never forget!"

Brock then walked between Ash and Damien. "I'll judge this battle. This is a battle between Ash and Damien! The winner will get ownership over Charmander. There is no time limit. Begin!" he called out.

"First, I need to check which moves Charmander has," Ash muttered as he scanned Charmander. The list of moves was then shown on the screen. After reading them, Ash closed his pokedex and focused on the battle. "Okay, Charmander! Do your best!"

"Enough! Golbat, use Confuse Ray!" Damien hollered.

"Quick, Charmander, use Smokescreen to blind Golbat!" Ash countered.

Before Golbat could release the alien ray of energy from her eyes, Charmander had already let loose thick, black smoke from his mouth that obscured the bat pokémon's vision. Then, before Golbat could do anything, she felt hard, metallic claws scratching her body. Charmander had struck her with Metal Claw.

Damien cursed under his breath. "Golbat, locate that bastard with Supersonic! Once you find him, use Air Cutter!"

Golbat immediately enlarged her mouth even further and began to emit ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic waves bounced off different surfaces and returned back to Golbat. A few seconds later, Golbat slashed her wing in the air and a loud cry of pain was heard.

"Charmander, use Dragon Rage!" Ash ordered.

Charmander's eyes glowed red and the flame on his tail grew to a larger size. He was about to blast Golbat with a ball of scarlet flames, but Damien was ready.

"Golbat, use Swift!" Damien called out.

Charmander then released the ball of fire, which caused Golbat to yelp in pain. Golbat then shot out star-shaped rays of energy towards Charmander. The group cringed as they saw Charmander crashing into the ground.

"Charmander, are you alright?" Ash asked.

Charmander started to get up to his feet and nodded. By the time he was standing, Golbat had already cleared out the smokescreen by flapping her wings.

"Golbat, use Leech Life!" Damien called out.

Golbat then flew swiftly towards Charmander and bit him on his left arm. Charmander cringed as Golbat drew out nutrients and blood from Charmander's body. Once the attack was finished, the tips of Golbat's fangs were dripping with blood.

"Charmander use Fire Fang!" Ash commanded.

"I won't let you!" Damien shot back. "Golbat, use Air Cutter!"

Before Charmander could bite Golbat with his fiery teeth, Golbat had already sent a blade of wind travelling towards Charmander. It wind hit Charmander on his torso and sent him flying a meter back, where he landed on his back as he groaned in pain.

"Charmander, come on!" Ash hollered. "You can't lose so easily!"

Damien smirked. "I guess I win, then. Come on, Charmander. I'll teach you a lesson later."

Ash clenched his teeth. He wasn't going to give Charmander to such a horrible trainer. He didn't want any pokémon to be owned by such horrible people. But if Charmander was tired, he couldn't do anything.

"Golbat, give him another Air Cutter for good measure," Damien ordered without emotion. Golbat slashed her wing in the air and once again struck the already incapacitated Charmander. Charmander groaned in pain once the attack hit him and he then stopped moving.

"Charmander, no!" the raven-haired boy called out. "You can't give up so easily! Remember how badly Damien treated you! I'm sure you don't want to go back to such a despicable person!"

"Say what you want, the fact remains that I now own Charmander," Damien said.

Upon hearing Ash's words, memories started to rush through Charmander's mind. Memories of Damien mistreating him. Memories of Damien abusing him, calling him names, belittling him…He couldn't take it anymore.

Fueled by these memoirs, Charmander stood up with all his strength, amazing everyone present there. He glared at Damien and Golbat with glowing eyes and his body was covered in a fiery aura. The flame on his tail also grew to a massive size and he had a menacing look.

"Awesome!" Ash called out. "Blaze just got activated!"

"Shit!" Damien cursed in horror. "Golbat, finish this quickly! Golbat, use Air Cutter!"

Golbat immediately slashed her wing in the air again. This time, however, Charmander scratched at the advancing blade of wind, destroying it.

"Whoa!" Ash exclaimed.

"Charmander's power is incredible!" Misty mumbled. Leaf only nodded in agreement.

"Crap! Golbat, use Confuse Ray!" Damien ordered.

"Quick, Charmander – use Smokescreen and then hide in the smoke!" Ash called out.

Charmander once again let loose a cloud of smoke, but this time it was darker in color and only surrounded Golbat. Golbat's Confuse Ray simply hit nothing, completely missing Charmander.

"Now, Charmander, use Ember!" Ash cried out.

Charmander took a deep breath and then let out a massive stream of fire. The flames were so massive, even with Blaze, that they impressed Damien a lot. Charmander's Blaze ability powered up the Ember so much that it transformed into A Flamethrower!

The Flamethrower then struck Golbat, who was surrounded by the Smokescreen, and something strange occurred. The smoke around Golbat was ignited and set Golbat on fire, who was prancing around in the air to douse the flames surrounding her body. Damien himself was shocked. Never had this thing occurred with him. He had to get Charmander back.

"That's weird," Misty observed. "How did that happen?"

"I don't know," Brock replied. "When a pokémon uses Smokescreen, it releases already burnt smoke. I don't know how the smoke around Golbat was ignited," he answered.

"Charmander, finish it with Metal Claw!" Ash bellowed.

Charmander's claws turned harder and into a metallic shade. He then sprinted towards Golbat and scratched her several times. Golbat then fell down in defeat, although she was still on fire.

"Return, Golbat!" Damien pressed the button on a pokeball which recalled the defeated Golbat.

"You did it, Charmander!" Ash exclaimed as he And Amethyst went to high-five him. "You did it!"

"So what?" Damien suddenly yelled out. "I don't give a shit! I'm going to take Charmander back regardless if I won, so hand him over!" he said as he took out another pokeball.

"What?" Ash exclaimed in surprise. He then drew an angry expression. "No way! I won fair and square! Anyway, Charmander decided that he wants to stay with me, you loser!"

"Yeah, you jerk! Don't cheat!" Leaf added.

Damien turned and furiously glared at the brunette. "No one asked you for your opinion, you ugly whore!"

Something snapped in Ash's head. He had had enough of this guy. Ash could say that he truly hated this person. First, he left Charmander for dead, then he beat up his own pokémon, and now he completely insulted his best friend, Leaf. He wasn't going to hold it in any longer. This did it.

Without warning, Ash ran towards Damien and punched him between his eyes. A crack was heard as soon as the powerful punch was landed. The next second, Damien was on the ground, covering his nose from which blood was gushing out. The nose was swollen and at a wrong angle, Damien screwing his eyes shut in pain.

"What the—" Damien didn't get to complete his sentence since Ash landed another hit – a swift kick between the blue-haired teenager's legs. Damien doubled over in pain and then lay on his side as he slowly curled into a ball, while Ash was taking quick breaths. He would've beaten up Damien a bit more, But Brock and Misty were holding him back while Leaf stood in her spot in shock. She had never seen Ash lose his calm like that.

A moment later, Damien stood up back on his feet and looked at Ash in anger and hatred. "What the fuck, you little piece of shit?! You broke my nose!" he shrieked as he touched his nose. "I swear you haven't seen the last of me. You better watch your back!" Damien then turned around and ran off.

Ash glared at the teenager until he was completely out of view. He then relaxed and sighed, after which Brock and Misty left him. He then turned back to see all of his friends staring at him with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry, guys. It's just that when Damien called here a…you know…something just happened. I don't think I've ever been that angry, even with Gary," Ash said as he looked down in shame.

Brock dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Forget about it, Ash. To tell you the truth, if someone had said something like that to anyone I was close to, I would've done the same thing."

"He deserved it," Misty said with a grin.

Ash then looked at Amethyst. She balled up her fists and showed them to Ash to explain that she would've beaten Damien herself if Ash didn't act first.

Ash sighed. He then turned to Leaf, who was walking towards him. "Thanks for standing up for me," she said.

"What he did was totally uncalled for. I'm not going to let some jerk talk to you or insult you like that," Ash replied.

Leaf blushed. "Thanks anyway," she muttered as she gave him a hug.

Ash's heart skipped a beat at the gesture and he turned a little red at it. Leaf then let go of him and looked down as she tried to hide her blush. Misty and Brock were noticing them all this while and they started to chuckle.

"You know, I'm a little jealous of how close you two are," Misty said as she giggled.

Brock grinned and clapped Ash on his back. "Looks like you two are getting a little too close, huh?" He chuckled.

Ash turned away and pouted. "Knock it off, Brock…" he said in embarrassment.

"Hey, we still have to welcome Charmander to the team!" Leaf exclaimed, trying to change the subject.

"Of course, Leaf. Welcome, Charmander!" Ash said as he smiled down at him and pulled out a spare pokeball. Charmander smiled at him as rubbed the back of his neck as he blushed. "Say, Charmander. Do you want a nickname?"

Charmander's eyes widened. This was the best day ever! He got rid of his tormenter _and_ he was now getting a nickname. Charmander grinned and nodded his head, leaving Ash in deep thought of a nickname.

Then it clicked him. "Hey, Charmander," He said. "What about Bunsen? You know, like the Bunsen Burner?"

Charmander thought for a while before he nodded his head. "Char, Charmander!" Charmander replied happily as he nudged the pokeball and he allowed himself to be captured.

Ash looked at the pokeball in his hands. "I'll take care of you, Char—I mean, Bunsen. I'll never be like Damien," he muttered.

All of a sudden, the pokeball teleported from his hands and vanished. Ash immediately got an alarmed expression on his face. "W-What happened?! Where's Bunsen's pokeball?" he asked anxiously. "Someone has stolen it!"

Leaf rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, Ash. Bunsen's pokeball has simply been transferred to Professor Oak's lab. It's all fine," she explained.

Ash heaved a sigh of relief. "Okay then," he said. "Anyway, let's get to our next stop – Vermillion City! It's just a few days from here!"

"Alright, let's go!" Leaf exclaimed.

Ash, Leaf and Amethyst took off running down the path, Brock and Misty following a few meters behind.

"These two are really enthusiastic, aren't they?" Misty told Brock as they were running down the path.

"That's why we get to places so quickly," Brock said before he chuckled.

* * *

 **That's all for today. This is the first chapter where Misty drags Brock by the year. I'll try to make as many witty remarks from Misty when she does this.**

 **I'm sure many of you are glad by the way Ash beat up Damien, however brutal as it may seem. Damien will make a few more appearances in the story so watch out for him!**

 **The decision for which shipping I should do has been made. And the winner is...FurtherShipping! It wasn't unexpected, so I'll try to include as many FS moments as I can. I'll also be putting up another poll that decides for Ash's Bulbasaur's and Squirtle's evolution. I really don't like the idea of them being in their first stages for their whole lives. So make your decision if you want them to evolve or want them to stay the same way as they are!**

 **In other cases, I'm having a writer's block for Squirtle's capture since I want it to be different from canon, so expect the chapter to come out only after around two weeks. If you guys have any suggestions, please let me know.**

 **As always, please review; I've seemed to hit an all-time low in the reviews for the past few chapters, and the feedback I get is precious to me.**

 **Answering your questions:**

 ** _Once pikachu starts to listen to ash, will he get a nickname?_**

No he won't. Pikachu with a nickname just seems...wrong to me.

 ** _Please make it AshxLeaf and will Ash ever kill someone_**

It is AshxLeaf. And for the other part...Maybe?

 ** _Will the shipwreck story happen here?_**

No it won't.

 ** _Will Gary and Paul meet?_**

Yes they will.

 ** _Will Ash and Paul face each other in the Indigo League?_**

That's a huge spoiler for me to say. I already have it planned out in my head and I like the way I've made it out.

 ** _How often will Ash encounter his rivals (a.k.a. Ritchie, Gary and Paul)?_**

Paul will make an encounter in Vermillion City, Fuschia City and Cinnabar Island. Gary will make his appearance in Saffron City, Fuschia City, Pallet town, and the whole of Sevii Islands (Yes, I'm doing the Sevii Islands Arc too). Ritchie will meet Ash in Celadon City, Saffron City and the Sevii Arc.

 _ **How are you going to make the league work if you plan on Ash winning a few pokemon leagues? That is will Ash have to battle the elite four or something**_

Ash will go to the official league after collecting eight badges. If he wins the league, he will go on to challenge the Elite Four. After defeating the elite four, he will challenge the Champion and if he wins he will become the true Champion. Do note that he won't will all of the leagues but some of them.


	13. The Squirtle Squad

**Sorry about the wait. It's been what, nine days? Not that much time difference, but still.**

 **Anyway, I passed my tenth grade exams! My results came out today and I'm so excited! You see, at the end of my tenth grade, I've got to give an official Cambridge examination that'll seal the fate for the rest of my life, and I got 90-something %! I can't wait to go to FYJC (First year junior college)!**

 **In other news, however, Sun and Moon looks bloody brilliant! I am SO hyped! I can't wait to buy my own copy of I-don't-know-which-version! I hope we get some new mega announcements, like Mega Dragonite or something, so that I can give Drake that...As for Sun and Moon, I might go for Moon because Lunaala looks freaking FABULOUS, and for starters I might either go for Rowlet or Litten, because Popplio looks incredibly stupid. Hmm...maybe Popplio becomes a magnificent beast so that I can name it the Ugly Duckling...**

 **Just a random question: What version would you guys buy and what would be your starter pokemon?**

 **#TeamRowletOrLittenButNotPopplioBecauseHeLooksStupid**

 **Right now, I have more chapters planned out for this story so the others I've written are on hold. LOL, it's been three months since I've updated TDTO and TMoaH. Maybe I should just delete those two...Hmm...**

 **Anyway, I love you guys! I've got over 12,000 hits, a hundred favs and 108 follows! Thanks for all the encouragement!**

 **I'm not happy how this chapter came out. Nevertheless, I want to give a shout-out to B0rderlandsLife for giving the idea of a different take on the Squirtle Squad. While Snoozing Lurker gave added many ideas, I liked B0rderlandsLife's idea the best. R &R!**

* * *

"Look! I can see civilization ahead!" Misty suddenly exclaimed.

After a month of passing through woods and small villages, the group was extremely exhausted. Ash, who wanted to reach Vermillion City as fast as he could, minimized their rest stops for only once in two days. Once he heard Misty, Ash jumped up to see the faint outlines of tall buildings in the distance. A few more days of travelling would do it. While there wasn't a Battle Club there, Ash smiled at the thought of receiving his third badge.

"Once we reach there, let's get my gym badge!" Ash exclaimed in excitement.

"Aw!" Misty grumbled. "We've been away from the city for so much time! We could at least spend some time at the beaches," Misty suggested.

"I have to agree with Misty on this one, Ash," Brock decided. "Let's relax and enjoy the warm beaches, the cool waters…and the beautiful girls," he added with a blush.

Ash then turned to the third member of the group. "Vermillion City is known for its beaches, after all," Leaf said after a moment of hesitation.

"And you, Amethyst?" Ash asked the Sableye, as if begging her to agree with him. Amethyst simply shrugged.

Ash hung his head in defeat. "Okay then…We'll get to the beaches first. But only if you guys speed up!" he added as he started to run.

"Hey! Wait for us!" Misty exclaimed as the others started to run as well.

The group then started to run down the long, dirt path that led to Vermillion City. Ash grinned as Misty tried to catch up to him, threatening to beat him up as he called her names. About half an hour later, when the group had finally reached Vermillion City, they decided to take a shortcut through an alley to reach Vermillion City faster.

Suddenly, the group felt the ground below them caving in to form a deep pitfall. Ash and his friends were pulled down by gravity and landed on top of each other, groaning in pain from the impact. The only thing they could see was the light that was pouring in from above.

"Who put this trap here?!" Ash exclaimed.

"I don't know, Ash, but if you don't take your elbow off my face then it's not going to be pretty!" Misty grumbled.

The rest sighed. Not only were they trapped down here, but they also had to listen to Misty nagging as well.

The group them pushed themselves off each other and they were finally able to stand properly. However, none of them were tall enough to reach the top of the pit and get out.

Just then, Ash saw four blue turtle-like creatures peeping at the group from above with smirks on their faces. Each of them was wearing round sunglasses. Upon seeing Ash's confused expression, they collectively burst out in laughter and pointed at the humans.

Ash, curious as ever, decided to scan the pokémon. " **Squirtle, the tiny turtle pokémon, is a water type pokémon,** " the pokedex informed. " **Squirtle's shell is not merely used for protection. The shell's rounded shape and the grooves on its surface help minimize water resistance in water, enabling this pokémon to swim at high speeds. This Squirtle is a male of its species.** "

"Hey!" Ash called out, startling the Squirtle. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Squirtle, Squirt!" one of the Squirtle exclaimed, giving a grin of mockery to the group.

"Did you do this?" Leaf asked.

They then saw the Squirtle laugh out loud again before one of them nodded.

"Why, you…" Ash was about to unclip a pokeball from his belt, but a weak spray of water hit his face and startled him. One of the Squirtle had hit him with a Water Gun, one which was _very_ weak.

"What the—" Ash blinked his eyes and wiped his face clean while the Squirtle gang continued to laugh even harder than before. How dare these pokémon humiliate him! He was just about to command Amethyst to teach them a lesson, but the sound of sirens blaring interrupted him. The water type group got panicked expressions on each of their faces and immediately ran away from the scene.

"Dang it!" a female voice shouted in anger. "I will get you one day, Squirtle!"

The sound of sirens blaring got even louder. Ash jumped up to see the person, and saw Officer Jenny riding a police motorcycle towards them with an angry expression. After looking in the distance for a few moments, she then turned to look into the pitfall with a concerned look on her face.

"Are you children okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Yes, Officer Jenny," Ash replied while Brock looked at her with a love-struck expression on his face.

"Here, let me help you," the police officer said as she held out a hand to the group.

Leaf went first, since she was the lightest in the group. Officer Jenny pulled her up with absolutely no effort. Misty went next, and although she was easy to pull up too, the redhead decided to give herself a boost by stepping on Ash's face and jumping up. Ash, however, was furious at this gesture and held onto Misty and pulled her down, making her fall hard on the floor on her backside.

"What the hell did you do that for, Ash?!" Misty exclaimed in anger.

"What did you kick me in the face for?" Ash retorted with an equally angry tone.

Misty smirked and looked away as she crossed her arms. "…That was just revenge for elbowing my face."

"Why you—"

"Stop it, guys!" Brock interjected. "If you keep arguing like this, we'll be able to get out of this pit only by tomorrow."

Ash sighed in defeat and let Misty be pulled up again. It was then that Ash went up with the help of Leaf and Officer Jenny, followed by Brock who was pulled up by practically everyone.

"I'm sorry for the trouble the Squirtle Squad caused," Officer Jenny apologized.

"'Squirtle Squad'?" Ash repeated in confusion.

Officer Jenny nodded. "That's what everyone in Vermillion City calls them nowadays. They're just a group of notorious Squirtle that were abandoned by their trainers a while ago. They were so upset by the way their trainers kicked them out like that so they have no respect for people. All they ever do is listen to their leader and play pranks or steal thing," Officer Jenny explained.

"So who is their leader?" Brock asked this time.

"No one knows," Officer Jenny replied as she shook her head, but she quickly drew a determined expression on her face. "But if I do find their leader and catch him/her, I bet that the group will be disbanded. But they're always a step ahead of me and the rest of the Vermillion Force."

She then looked at the group hopefully, as if she had an idea involving them. "Say, why don't you help me finding them? They'll never suspect you trainers of spying on them," she requested.

Misty looked nervous. She didn't want to be involved in anything right now. All she wanted to do was relax on the beach and get a nice tan. "Um—"

"Of course, Officer Jenny," Ash interrupted with a smile as he showed a balled-up fist. "If we can disband their group forever, we're ready to help!"

Misty sweat-dropped. Why did Ash have to butt in every time?

Officer Jenny smiled back. "Thank you for your cooperation!" she exclaimed. She then got on her motorcycle. "Till then, just be careful of the Squirtle Squad when you are in Vermillion City." She then drove off down the road, disappearing from their views.

* * *

The group stared at the beautiful beach in front of them. They could even see several ships on the harbor, particularly the flamboyant and magnificent St Anne in the distance. It had been a really long time since either of them had been to the beach. Vermillion City was known for its beaches, and the clean, sparkling and clear waters were surely and indication to it.

The group then found a nearby beach house and changed into their swimsuits there. Then they were ready to have some fun!

"Hey, why don't we send out our pokémon too?" Ash suggested.

"That a great idea!" Leaf replied with a grin.

The group then sent out their pokémon on the warm, smooth sand. Ash sent out Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Lateralus, Amethyst, Bacchus and Pikachu out, where they stretched out their muscles after being sent out after so much time. Misty sent out all of her water types, where they swam to their heart's content, while Brock simply sent out his Zubat and Geodude since his Onix was too big to be sent out in the open like this. Brock, Misty and Ash marveled at Leaf's collection of pokémon that ranged from Raticate, Venus (her Bulbasaur), Cleffa, a female Nidoran, a Jigglypuff and a Butterfree. However, this Butterfree was bright pink in color and therefore caught everyone's attention.

"Why is it pink?" Ash asked Leaf.

Leaf shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "I caught her around Cerulean Cape. I thought that it might be because she's a girl, but then I found out that all Butterfree looked the same."

Ash marveled at the special Butterfree, who was hovering above Leaf's head. Just then, Ash's Butterfree zoomed past him and floated next to the pink Butterfree as he blushed in embarrassment.

Brock chuckled. "Looks like your Butterfree has got his sight on getting himself a girlfriend, Ash," he said as he nudged the raven-haired boy.

Ash's cheeks turned red in embarrassment. "Maybe, or it could be that he just wants to make a new friend. Boys and girls can be friends, right Leaf?" he asked the brunette with a smile.

"Um, yes," she replied, although she did not look at him as she answered. Ash was still the same dense boy.

* * *

Misty and Leaf were swimming through the cool water right now and having a blast while Brock was roaming around the beach in order to search for some girls. The weather was simply perfect right now. Leaf turned around to ask Ash something, but he just wasn't there.

"Uh, Ash?" she asked, afraid that something had happened to him. She continued to look in all directions but she did not see him anywhere. "Ash…?" she repeated again, but she then felt something grab her ankle.

Leaf shrieked in fear as a hand pulled her into the water. However, the culprit turned out to be Ash, who was laughing at her as he rose from the shallow water.

"You should've seen your face, Leaf!" Ash said between laughs.

"You're going to get it, Ketchum!" Leaf shouted as she got an angry expression on her face.

Without warning, Leaf leapt at Ash and tackled him in the water. They soon started to wrestle each other and took turns in dunking each other in the water. Before either of them knew it, Ash's hands were wrapped around Leaf as he constricted her and didn't allow her to move. It looked like Ash was trying to hug her from behind and Leaf was holding his arms around her.

"Uh…" Ash muttered nervously. "Leaf, are you going to let me go?" he asked as he started to turn red.

That's when Leaf realized the position they were in. "Oh! Uh, yeah, Ash," she said as she let go of his hands. They both blushed in embarrassment and walked back to the shore.

As Ash walked back onto the beach, he picked up his hat and placed it around his head before noticing his pokémon, who were playing with each other. Misty's Starmie, Staryu and Ash's Porygon were staring at each other with blank expressions while Ash's Butterfree was chasing Leaf's. He then noticed Pikachu smiling devilishly at Pidgeotto as he walked up to her, ready to shock the bird, but Pidgeotto noticed him and slashed her wing in the air and knocked out Pikachu. Although Pidgeotto didn't have a proper mouth, he could swear that he saw her smirk. Amethyst was prancing around in the water with Leaf's Raticate and Nidoran while Jigglypuff was practicing her singing. He then saw his Bulbasaur, Bacchus, and Leaf's Bulbasaur, Venus, looking at each other nervously before Venus nudged him and Bacchus hid in embarrassment. He couldn't believe that they were having so much fun right now. Ash was really happy that his journey had gone so well and that he had encountered such wonderful pokémon.

However, he was pulled out from his daydreams as a weak blast of water hit him in the face and knocked him over. Ash blinked repeatedly, wiping the water from his eyes before he saw four Squirtle with sunglasses rushing towards him with smirks on their faces. He was already wet so it didn't bother him like last time, but that didn't change the fact that they were trying to aggravate him.

"Hey!" he shouted. "What do you—?"

He was cut short as a Squirtle knocked him on his head with a fist, sending him reeling in pain. One of the Squirtle then grabbed Ash's hat and placed it on his head. They then made faces at him before the decided to run for it.

"Hey! Give me back my hat!" Ash shouted once he recovered from the punch.

Instead, one Squirtle stayed behind while the others ran away. The Squirtle then turned the hat back and imitated throwing a pokeball at Ash. Ash got an angry look on his face that he was being mocked by the tiny turtle pokémon.

"Why, you…" He growled as he lunged at the Squirtle.

Squirtle easily jumped out of the way which caused Ash to land face-first into the sand. He lifted himself up and glared at the Squirtle.

"Fine!" he shouted. "I'll take it by force!"

Before Ash could call upon one of his pokémon, he heard the sounds of sirens blaring for the second time that day. The Squirtle once again got a panicked expression and began to run away.

"I'll get you this time, Squirtle!" He heard Officer Jenny's voice cry out in anger.

"Officer Jenny!" Ash exclaimed once he saw her stop right in front of him. "That Squirtle has—"

"I know what he's done, and that's why I need your help to catch those notorious brats!" she interrupted. "We don't want any more thieveries in this town!"

Ash nodded. He then saw Leaf and Amethyst running up to him, who started to pant heavily once they stopped. "What…happened…?" Leaf asked between breaths.

"They stole my official Pokémon League Expo hat," Ash muttered sadly.

Leaf knew how much his hat meant to him. He wore it every day and removed it only when he was sleeping or bathing. Ash and his hat were rarely seen apart. She could even say the same for her hat, which her father had given to her. If her hat would've been stolen then she would be crushed.

"Venus, I need you with me!" Leaf suddenly called out, and the Bulbasaur ran towards the trainer with Bacchus following her. Leaf then took her pokeball and pressed the button on it, recalling the seed pokémon back into her pokeball. Ash did the same before he, Leaf and Officer Jenny started their chase behind the group of rogue Squirtle.

The Squirtle, however, was not far ahead and was only a few meters in front of the trainers and police officer. He cursed at his foolishness of taunting the human rather than running away with his fellow friends. He certainly did not want to be caught by the humans and especially that dopey police officer.

The lone Squirtle then jumped in the air before in retracted himself into his shell, allowing him to soar in the air and travel faster than on land. His shell had been specifically formed to lower resistance in any form, whether in the water or in the air, allowing him to speed up. He then began to soar down and his limbs and head quickly shot out from the holes into his shell so that he could land perfectly on the dirt road.

However, Leaf and Ash were running quite fast and Officer Jenny was not far behind the Squirtle on her motorcycle. The Squirtle feared that he would quickly be caught by those despicable humans.

"Give me back my hat!" Ash bellowed as he swerved in the direction that the Squirtle had previously turned in.

The Squirtle didn't pay heed to Ash command and simply continued to run as fast as he could. Even Officer Jenny could not catch him this time. He soon saw his leader's lair and smiled. These people were in for a surprise!

The Squirtle again used one of his maneuvers and tucked himself inside his shell after he leapt into the air. He soared quickly towards the small cave and perfectly went through the opening of the cave. Ash, Leaf and Officer Jenny stood victoriously in front of the cave.

"Aha!" Officer Jenny exclaimed as she snapped her fingers. "We've got them!"

The three quickly entered the cave, Ash mainly to get his precious hat back.

Officer Jenny immediately turned on her flashlight that illuminated the cave. The lair reeked of unpleasant odors and the walls were slimy. Magikarp bones were littered all around the place along with crushed aluminum cans. Leaf grimaced in disgust as she and Ash held their nose with their fingers.

"We're either dealing with a sneak attack," Officer Jenny said, "or a retreat."

Suddenly, a powerful jet of water headed straight for Ash's head, strong enough to pierce through his head, but he instinctively ducked, causing the blast of water to hit the wall behind him. Ash saw a blur of blue jumping stealthily to another place, ready to attack the group.

"Venus!" Leaf called out, and her Bulbasaur burst out of the pokeball. "Venus, I need you to use Sunny Day!"

Venus' bulb shot out a bright orb of energy. The orb then headed up to the roof of the cave and formed a miniature sun that lit up the entire cave.

It was then that Ash saw all of his surroundings – four Squirtle were standing in front of them in a defensive stance, as if threatening to attack them. Ash whimpered in fear of being attacked by the tiny turtle pokémon, but he nevertheless held a determined look on his face as Amethyst was perched on his back. He stealthily unclipped a pokeball from his belt. However, he looked quite ridiculous since he was still in his swimming trunks and therefore didn't look as intimidating as the pokémon.

"Amethyst, use Sucker Punch!" Ash said as he tossed the pokeball in the air that sent out Bacchus. The other three Squirtle flinched at the blinding speed at which Amethyst travelled to the one in the middle, knocking him over as she gave him an uppercut. Taking this chance, Leaf and the Jenny sent out their pokémon as well to attack the Squirtle Squad.

What happened next was utter chaos. Each pokémon was blindly hitting anything they could while Ash, Leaf and the police officer took cover behind boulders conveniently placed in the cavern. Attacks were hitting the walls and ceiling, causing them to crack. Bacchus was tying up a Squirtle with his vines and then continuously slamming him on the ground, and Venus was doing the same. Amethyst, however, was simply teleporting from place to place as she dodged every single Water Gun from the Squirtle. However, Officer Jenny's Growlithe was already knocked out by a simply blast of water. After quite some time, the four Squirtle were heavily injured and were lying on the back of their shells, unable to move.

"We got them!" Leaf exclaimed happily.

"Yes we did…" Officer Jenny agreed with an evil smile.

Ash walked up to the knocked out Squirtle and grabbed his hat back. "Thank you," he said smugly as he placed the hat on his head.

"Yes, yes," Officer Jenny said as she walked up to the Squirtle gang and looked at them intently. "Thank you for your help. I'm really happy that you helped me capture these rare pokémon."

Ash furrowed his brow. "'Capture'…?" Ash repeated in confusion. "Aren't you supposed to give them to a daycare or something?"

Officer Jenny gave a short laugh. "You kids are so gullible. I only wanted your help so that I could keep these rare creatures with me!" she explained. "These pokémon aren't common in the wild in any way."

"What?" Ash exclaimed in surprise. Was Officer Jenny playing them?

"You mean this was a set up?" Leaf asked anxiously.

The Jenny nodded. She then took out something from her pockets, which extended to form a net-like structure, and she threw the objects on the Squirtle. The nets automatically tied them up and coalesced with the Squirtle until they minimized and formed what seemed to be a Net-Ball, one of the specialized balls that Devon Co had created just a few years ago. Moreover, the pokéballs had a special mark on them, one Ash and Leaf had never seen.

Ash frowned. No Officer Jenny would act like this.

"Now, where is the leader?" Not-so-Officer Jenny asked herself as she looked around. She then bent down to pick up the pokéballs while she was looking around. She quickly pocketed the balls before she unclipped a pokeball of her own and sent out a pokeball-like pokémon.

Ash had heard about Voltorb. They were a huge pain to trainers who considered them as pokéballs, and they ended up getting shocked by the inorganic pokémon. He had heard that there was a mass production of them when one of Silph's pokeball machines had passed an extremely powerful load of electrical energy that miraculously gave life to the creatures.

"Come out!" she roared while her Voltorb floated around her.

"What are you searching for?" Ash asked warily.

The officer turned around and looked at Ash and Leaf. "Oh. All I'm looking for is the leader of the Squirtle Squad. I've heard that it is quite a rare pokémon to be found in a region like this," she replied with a smirk.

"What are you going to do with them?" Leaf asked as she and Ash glared at her.

"I'm going to sell them to a buyer," she replied casually. "I'll be getting quite a large sum of money for them."

"You're horrible!" Ash commented with a twisted expression.

"Say what you want. After all, money is all that matters," she said with an evil smile.

"Fro!" a voice cried out, startling everyone in the room. Officer Jenny turned around, only to be hit on the face by a thick, round, white substance that blinded the police officer and caused her to land on her behind. Officer Jenny cursed in anger as she got up, only to be hit again by the same substance.

"Come out!" she roared once more, loud enough to shake the walls of the cave. Ash and Leaf attempted to run out of the cavern, but her gun held her back.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere," she stopped with a grin. "You just saw a pokémon poacher in action, and you certainly don't want to be electrocuted by 10,000 volts of electricity." That kept Ash and Leaf glued to their spots.

"Curse this stupid mask," she muttered angrily as she held her fingers to her neck. She then dug her nails into what seemed to be her skin, and circled her nails around her neck. She then ripped off the layer of skin from her face, grossing out Ash and Leaf, but it turned out to be a mask. She quickly threw the mask down to the floor and revealed her face to the group as she removed her wig as well.

The lady had a long, pointed, and hooked nose and narrow eyes. Her face was triangular in shape and she had short, black hair with a few pink streaks. A scar ran along her right cheek. Ash grimaced as he saw her clawing at the scar, as if that part was itching badly.

"You…You're not Officer Jenny!" Ash exclaimed in surprise.

The lady rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm not. The real Officer Jenny is out there, doing some police shit. I'm just here to collect as many rare pokémon as I can, especially the ones in this cave."

"Fro!" the voice cried out again, but this time the Poacher ducked in time to evade the thick, white, bubble-like substance that instead hit the wall and embedded itself into it. The mystery assailant soon revealed itself by jumping down the ceiling and landing in front of the Poacher.

The pokémon was a quadruped, frog-like creature with light-blue skin, white hands and a dark-blue stripe from the center of his oval head to his nose. His eyes – which had yellow sclera, black irises and white pupils – protruded vertically from his head. A large mane of bubbles, just like the ones that had blinded the poacher, were on his back and chest white two small bubbles were on his nose. He had three fingers on his hand and two toes on his feet. The creature gave a glare at the poacher as he readied another attack.

"My, my," the poacher remarked, "what an amazing sight it is. I will certainly be paid a lot for you, dear Froakie."

"Froakie…?" Ash muttered. He had never heard of this pokémon before. He decided to scan him with his pokedex, but the device gave absolutely no data on the pokémon. Leaf, however, had bought the extension of the pokedex and therefore was able to get data on the Froakie.

" **Froakie, the bubble frog pokémon, is a water type pokémon,** " Leaf's pokedex said. " **From its chest and back, Froakie creates bubbles called 'Frubbles', which acts as a cushion and softens the blow of an opponent's attack. This Froakie is a male.** "

"Wait, so this pokémon isn't from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, _or_ Sinnoh?" Ash asked, amazed.

Leaf nodded. "Yup…It says here that it is a native of the Kalos region."

"Yes, and that's why things like these are so rare," the poacher added.

"That's cruel! Pokémon aren't tools to gain money!" Ash exclaimed. "They're our friends!"

"Voltorb, use Charge!" the pokémon poacher ordered, ignoring Ash while Voltorb glowed yellow in color as sparks surrounded it.

"Fro!" the Froakie cried out as he plucked out the bubbles from his mane and hurled it at the poacher and her pokémon. However, Voltorb and its trainer were too swift and easily dodged the Frubbles.

"Now shock that little Froakie with Discharge!" the poacher ordered with a sadistic smirk on her face.

"We won't let you!" Ash shot back. "Bacchus, wrap your vines around Voltorb!"

"You too do the same, Venus!" Leaf commanded.

The two Bulbasaur nodded at each other and shot several vines that headed towards Voltorb and wrapped around it, making it look like a huge sphere of vines. The electricity that Voltorb was going to shoot out was quickly nullified by the Bulbasaur's' insulating vines but also hurt Bacchus and Venus. The two instantly retracted their vines in pain and cringed.

"You…" the poacher growled. "You meddlesome, insolent fools! How dare you make me lose my money?" she asked in anger. "Voltorb, use Shock Wave!"

"Amethyst, Sucker Punch!"

Before Voltorb could electrocute the two trainers, Amethyst had swiftly jumped towards Voltorb and kicked him away, making him shoot the electricity just a foot way from Ash's face. She then began to pummel Voltorb relentlessly with various swift chops before the Voltorb shocked her too. Amethyst groaned in pain from the attack and immediately fell down, unconscious.

 _Damn it!_ Ash cursed in his mind. _If only I had got the rest of my pokémon as well…!_

"Voltorb, finish them." She looked at the two without any emotion. "Thunderbolt!" she called out.

The Froakie was watching all this while he was standing there. These two humans were willing to give up their lives to save him and his friends. He couldn't just let them be shocked by that evil woman. He had to repay his debt!

Froakie nodded and closed his eyes before he rushed towards Ash and Leaf with all his speed. He then projected himself between the fast-moving jolt of electricity and Ash, allowing him to be struck by the powerful electric attack. Froakie cried out in pain as the electricity coursed through his body and completely knocked him out. Froakie then fell to the ground with a thud while the pokémon poacher stood there, smirking victoriously.

"Heh," she snorted. "I guess catching this guy was easier than I thought."

Ash glared at the phony. He then turned down to see Froakie struggling to get up, despite his injuries. Ash then looked back at the pokémon poacher. He hated people who thought that pokémon were mere tools. He wasn't going to let the bubble frog pokémon's sacrifice go in vain.

"We still have an advantage, Leaf," Ash whispered. "Electric type attacks are weak against grass type pokémon. If we do everything right, we can pull this off."

Leaf nodded back at him.

"Okay, Bacchus – use Stun Spore!" Ash commanded. The Bulbasaur immediately shot a bomb of orange powder that settled on the Voltorb and began its effects. The Voltorb started to twitch until it was paralyzed and it settled on the ground.

"Wha—No!" the pokémon poacher exclaimed. "Thunderbolt, Voltorb!"

Ash's eyes widened as he saw Voltorb shoot a bolt of electricity, and he immediately jumped to his side. Leaf did the same and so did their pokémon. The bolt of electricity hit the wall and made a deep gash in it.

"Thunderbolt!" the lady repeated. Ash ducked and breathed heavily as the next bolt of electricity nearly hit him – however, its aim was a bit higher and instead hit the ceiling, causing a crack to form at the top.

"Bacchus, use Razor Leaf!" Ash ordered.

"You too, Venus!" she added.

Bacchus and Venus shot a flurry of sharp leaves that sped towards the pokémon poacher and her Voltorb. The woman ducked, but the Voltorb was paralyzed and unable to move. The sharp leaves slashed against its inorganic body while a few leaves were embedded in it.

"Bacchus, finish this!" Ash exclaimed. "Take Down!"

Bacchus then pawed at the ground before he ran towards Voltorb with great speed. The speed at which he was travelling caused him to be enveloped in a white aura as he charged towards the paralyzed Voltorb. The poacher jumped out of the way, not wanting to be hit, and Bacchus rammed into Voltorb. The force at which he rammed into the ball pokémon made it soar into the air before it slammed into the wall behind it. It then slumped to the ground, unconscious. Bacchus too was hurt due to the impact, but he quickly shook it off.

"You notor—" the poacher was cut short as Bacchus tripped her with one of his vines. She fell on the ground on her back, knocked out due to the impact. Ash smirked at her before he noticed Froakie, who was lying on the ground.

"Froakie!" Ash exclaimed anxiously. The wild Froakie weakly looked at him and smiled before he too went unconscious.

"Ash!" His attention was diverted once he heard Leaf call his name. "I'll free these Squirtle. Till then, go and take Froakie to the Pokémon Centre!"

Ash nodded. He was sure that Leaf would take care of the situation here until Froakie was healed properly.

* * *

"Ash Ketchum, your Froakie is healed. Please come here to collect your pokémon," he heard Nurse Joy announce from her desk.

Ash immediately got up from the bench and ran up to the Centre's desk, where Nurse Joy handed a pokeball. Leaf walked up right next to him and smiled at him while he sent out the pokémon.

Immediately, the Froakie took a defensive stance and glared at Ash before he threw Frubbles at Ash's face that hit him on his forehead and made him groan in pain.

"What is it with you?!" Ash yelled at the Froakie as he ripped off the sticky substance from his face with great difficulty. The Froakie simply glared harder and once again attacked Ash with his mane of bubbles.

Ash was about to shout again, but Leaf put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"Relax, Ash," she calmed. "Shouting at Froakie isn't going to do any good."

Ash then realized that she was right and took a deep breath. He then walked up to Froakie, who kept backing away slowly, and bent down until he was staring into the pokémon's eyes.

"Froakie, I just want you to know to that you don't have to continue to play mean pranks on people or steal things. I'm sure you're better than this," Ash told him.

The Froakie growled at Ash. How could he trust this human who had just helped someone else to capture him and his fellow friends? Sure, he later saved the Squirtle Squad, but that didn't do any good. Froakie just continued to give Ash a hard stare, but he didn't do anything else.

Taking that as a good sign, Ash continued, "I know that it hurt that you were probably abandoned by your trainer, but that doesn't mean that all humans are like that."

The Froakie frowned and turned away from Ash. He didn't believe him. It hurt a lot for him. Just because he didn't have some stupid 'Hidden Ability' didn't mean that his ex-trainer could just kick him out like that!

Ash sighed. "If you don't believe me, then you'll probably believe your fellow pokémon. I happen to have a Bulbasaur that abandoned by his trainer. I even have a Charmander who was badly treated by his," he added.

That got Froakie's attention. He turned to face Ash and looked at him with a curious expression.

"That's right. If you want, they can tell you this themselves," Ash told the Froakie as he sent out his Charmander and his Bulbasaur.

Bunsen and Bacchus went over to Froakie and then started to converse with him. Although Ash and Leaf couldn't exactly make out what the pokémon were talking about, they could get a good idea by the expressions and gestures made by the creatures.

Finally, the Froakie turned towards Ash and guiltily hung his head. "Froakie, fro…" he muttered apologetically.

"That was great, Ash," Leaf said as she smiled at him.

Ash returned the smile. "It was nothing. Bunsen and Bacchus did most of the talking," he replied. He then turned to Froakie. "What do you say we go and meet your friends, huh?"

"Froakie, Fro!" he responded happily.

* * *

An hour later, the group was standing in front of the real Officer Jenny, while the pokémon poacher had her hands and legs chained and the four Squirtle were guiltily looking at the ground.

"Thank you very much for your efforts," Officer Jenny said as she shook Ash's and Leaf's hand. "Because, of you, we were able to apprehend Ms. Jameson here before she escaped," she said as she gave a twisted look at the poacher.

The lady scowled. "Stupid bitches…" She growled under her breath. "If it wasn't for those bastards I would've had those motherfuckers," she mumbled. _The others would be ashamed…losing to those brats…_

"Because of you, we'll now be able to weasel out all the information about her and her organization," the Jenny added.

"Heheheh…" Ash rubbed the back of his neck nervously as he blushed at the compliment.

"I guess I'll take the job of making sure that all the Squirtle and Froakie find a good home," Officer Jenny said.

The Squirtle instantly got wild grins on their faces and walked up to Officer Jenny to hug her legs. The Froakie, however, shook his head. He then went over to Ash and pointed one of his fingers at him.

"You want me to be your trainer?" Ash asked in surprise, to which the pokémon nodded.

"I think that Froakie would be a great pokémon for you, Ash," Leaf said approvingly. "After all, you were the first to gain his trust."

Ash turned to Officer Jenny and looked at her intently. "Is that okay, Officer Jenny?" he asked.

"Of course, Ash. You seem like the type of trainer who would take great care of Froakie." Officer Jenny smiled.

"Awesome!" he exclaimed in joy. "Welcome to the team, Froakie!"

"Froakie!" the pokémon exclaimed as he leapt in the air and hugged Ash around his neck.

"Looks like I caught a new pokémon." Ash smiled. He then looked at Froakie. "We're going to make a great team, aren't we Froakie?"

Froakie nodded in agreement.

* * *

 **Ash has now gotten all three of the Kanto Starters - or should I say two of the Kanto starters and a Froakie. In the next chapter, Ash will catch Krabby, and later he will get all of his other canon pokemon. After that, he'll catch a few non-canon pokemon. I MAY get Leaf to travel with Ash for all eternity through Kanto, but that's just a possibility. Yes, the story will have FS. No worries.**

 **The next chapter will be a filler-sort-of-chapter, where Ash will catch Krabby and Misty will catch a canon pokemon. The Vermillion City Gym Battle will occur in the next chapter! I'll see you guys next week (or maybe earlier than that)!**

 **Chapter 14 - Electric Shock Showdown!**

 **Answering your questions:**

 ** _Will charmander freak out about not being with ash after being caught, since he only just got over his previous trainer abandoning him?_**

...I really don't know.

 ** _Nice so will you be covering all the regions he went to? Or just the Kanto region?_**

I'm planning to cover all the regions except for Unova and probably Kalos.

 ** _Sooo, will he meet the other champions in kanto such as cynthia, alder or hoenn champion(not sure if its steven or wallace)_**

He will, but not in Kanto.


	14. Electric Shock Showdown!

**Hello everyone, and welcome to chapter 14! I have to say that I'm quite happy as to how this chapter came out. I have to tell you guys that Pikachu will seem a lot stronger, and Ash smarter. All I can say is that this one is quite different from canon.**

 **So, yesterday I saw Apocalypse with my buddies, and I just didn't like it. By the end of the first half I was half-asleep, and it was only in the quarter of the last half that I found _really_ interesting or action-packed. If I was Rotten Tomatoes, I'd give it a 6/10. 'Nuff said.**

 **Now that's enough of my rambling. Let's get on with the chapter!**

* * *

Ash and his friends made their way to the Pokémon Centre to spend the night there. Ash kept thinking about his Gym Battle that he had tomorrow and hardly paid attention to his surroundings.

However, once the group entered the centre, an array of cacophonous cries echoed in their ears. Ash looked around in confusion and saw a quite large crowd gathered around the reception of the Pokémon Centre. Each of them was holding a pokémon in their arms that was badly injured and out cold. Nurse Joy was trying to calm all the trainers but to no avail.

"Nurse Joy, my Rattata is really injured!" a boy said.

"And my pokémon too!" another one cried.

"And mine, too!" yet another cried.

Nurse Joy sighed. "Okay. Seeing that all of our rooms are filled at the moment, I will contact the other Centres in order to help you and make room for your pokémon. Till that time, please form a uniform line and hand over your pokéballs," she said.

The crowd nodded as they recalled their pokémon and then handed over said pokémon to the nurse. After a few moments or so, when Nurse Joy had transferred all the pokéballs to nearby Pokémon Centres, the crowd dispersed around the Centre.

Ash, Leaf, Brock and Misty then decided to walk over to Nurse Joy and book their rooms for the night.

"Good evening, Nurse Joy," Ash greeted. "We would like to book two rooms for the night, please."

Nurse Joy smiled at him. "Certainly," she agreed. As she proceeded to reserve two rooms for the group of trainers, the four could not help but notice the amount of people that were grieving about their heavily injured pokémon.

"Excuse me, Ma'am," Misty asked warily, trying not to sound nosy, "but what happened to the trainers' pokémon that had come in earlier?"

Nurse Joy sighed. "All of them have returned from the Vermillion Gym."

"Huh?" Ash blinked in surprise. "Are you trying to say that the leader there defeated _all_ of these trainers?!" he asked in disbelief.

"Rightly so," she replied.

"Sounds like a brutal person, if you ask me," Leaf muttered with a grumpy look.

"Oh yes he is. In fact, Lt Surge is actually a war hero. He has received many awards for his bravery during the war," Nurse Joy said.

"Oh…" Ash trailed off as he looked at the ground in worry.

"Ash, you aren't getting discouraged, are you?" Leaf asked concernedly.

"No, it's just…"

"Ash, you can't lose!" Misty yelled. "You just can't! How do you think Brock and I will look of you lose against Vermillion's Gym Leader?"

"Misty, don't pressurize him," Brock said with a stern look. "You can't just make him win."

"All of you have your rooms ready," Nurse Joy said.

"Oh, Nurse Joy, you work so hard!" Brock exclaimed as he delicately held her hands. "How hard you work is only matched by your beauty!"

Before Nurse Joy could respond, Misty pinched his ear and dragged him by it. "She already has so much work, she doesn't need to have any more from you," Misty muttered as she rolled her eyes.

"Is Brock going to do that for every girl he sees?" Leaf whispered to Ash.

"I don't know, but we can rely on Misty to take care of it," Ash whispered back.

As the group made their way to the dinner hall, Ash couldn't help but look at the group of trainers that had come back from the Vermillion City Gym. If the leader had defeated them really easily, then he had to do his best.

* * *

Leaf rolled in her sleep. For some reason, she just couldn't get any sleep. Perhaps it was because of Misty snoring, but something else was ticking her off. Half-asleep, she walked out of the room as she dragged her bedsheet with her.

"Whassdatnoys…" Leaf muttered as she groggily walked towards to source of the sound through the empty, dark corridor that went on endlessly. On either of her side were numerous rooms full of people – until she finally came across one of the training rooms.

Leaf frowned. A lot of sounds were coming from in there, ranging from loud commands and echoes of attacks hitting moving dummies. However, the trainer's voice sounded familiar, even though it was muffled by the thick glass window that separated her from the boy. She looked intently as his Bulbasaur brutally ripped the dummy from its stand and slammed it on the ground.

 _A Bulbasaur,_ Leaf mused. _Not many people have a Bulbasaur. Bulbasaur are said to be an endangered species because of all the deforestation nowadays…Could it be…?_

Without further thinking, she slid open the thick door and walked inside the room. The Bulbasaur wasn't the only pokémon – there was a Charmander, a Butterfree, a Pikachu, a Sableye and a Froakie. There was only one person with a team like that.

But what was he doing right now? It was the middle of the night, and he was dressed in his pajamas as he commanded his pokémon to attack the targets. Unless…

"Ash?" she said. Ash flinched at the voice, surprised that anyone had been awake at all. He slowly turned behind, wide-eyed, and stared at Leaf without uttering a word.

"Ash, what're you doing here?"

He suddenly took an interest in his footwear. Leaf scrunched her eyebrows as she noticed the pile of broken targets on the floor.

"Ash, what is all this?" she probed further.

Ash sighed, finally giving in. "I'm just training my pokémon for tomorrow's match."

"Why?" Leaf asked. "It's the middle of the night!" After a moment's pause, Leaf understood the situation. "You're getting discouraged, aren't you? Because of all those trainers in the Pokémon Centre."

"I just…I-Yeah," Ash muttered as he hung his head. "I mean, if there's a Gym Leader that defeated all of those trainers in one go, my pokémon better be prepared. I just…I don't want them to lose…"

Leaf gave a small smile. "It's alright, Ash. But you don't have to worry! I know that you'll win. You've got an incredible bond with all of your pokémon…" She trailed off as her eyes stopped on Pikachu, who was lazing on the floor. Typical of him. "Anyway, you should get some sleep if you're challenging Surge tomorrow. Come on, Ashy-Boy," she teased.

"Hahaha," Ash laughed sarcastically. "Okay, Leafy-Girl."

At that, Leaf pouted playfully. None of them liked the nicknames that Gary had given them. Ash went on to recall all of his pokémon, save Amethyst, and he then went back to his cabin.

He had a peaceful sleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

It was the next day, and Ash was really fired up for his gym battle. As he made his way to the gym, it didn't matter to him that so many trainers had lost to Lt Surge. He wasn't going to be one of them. His pokémon had worked very hard and they weren't going to disappoint him. He could be luckier with the pokémon he had, although he was a bit sad that Lateralus and Pidgeotto were back at Professor Oak's lab.

The Vermillion City gym was quite a large building that was near the dock. The top half of it was florescent blue while the lower half was florescent yellow, with several lightning bolts that acted as a crown. Ash took a breath as he and his friends stood in front of the building for a few seconds before entering inside. It was then that they were met by darkness, with the only light coming from the thick, glass windows.

The group was met by two adults, a man and a woman, who acted as guards but wore clothes that made them look like a part of a gang or something.

"Whaddya want, kiddo?" the lady, who had spiky hair, asked.

Despite being intimidated by the two people, Ash spoke up. "Hello. My name is Ash Ketchum and I'm here to challenge the Gym Leader for the Thunder Badge," he stated.

The man smirked. "Did ya hear, Boss? We got another victim with us."

The group glared at the two. What made them so overconfident?

"Oh, ho, ho," a deep voice laughed. A few seconds later, they saw a silhouette of a man coming closer to them, until it revealed a large, hulking, and giant of a man in a sage green vest and beige camo pants. He had spiky brown hair, and his eyes were covered by pure black sunglasses.

"Woah!" exclaimed Brock is awe. "He's huge!"

"Is that Lt Surge?" Misty asked to herself.

"Welcome to Vermillion's Gym!" Lt Surge exclaimed in delight. "So, who's our challenger?"

"I am," Ash declared as he stepped forward, Amethyst perched on his shoulder.

Lt Surge turned down to look at Ash. "Oh, okay then, baby!" he said as he put his hands on his hips and looked at Ash in a condescending manner.

Ash glared at the man. "I'm no baby!" he retorted a bit angrily.

Lt Surge guffawed. "I always call people who lose to me 'baby'," he responded.

The group frowned at this. "What makes you so sure, huh?" Ash asked.

Lt Surge snorted. "Boy, my pokémon saved my life during the war. They can take down any challenge!" he declared.

 _Oh, yeah. Nurse Joy told us that he's a war hero,_ Ash thought as he saw Lt Surge walking up to a trainer box on the battlefield. Taking this as his cue, he too walked up to the other trainer box and glared at the leader. Ash would show this man that he wasn't the strongest out there.

"How many badges have you got there, baby?" Lt Surge questioned.

"Two," Ash replied calmly.

"Heh," the Leader muttered in amusement. "This is going to be fun. Raichu, go!" he called out. The great-ball snapped open and sent forth a pokémon that looked quite like Pikachu, but this time only larger and with primarily orange skin. Her tail was more than the length of her body; it was wiry and ended with a thick, lightning-bolt shape. Just like her trainer, she had a cocky smirk on her face and she folded her arms.

" **Raichu, the mouse pokémon, is an electric type pokémon and the evolved form of Pikachu,** " Ash's and Leaf's pokedexes said in their monotone voices. " **It can shock with more than 10,000 volts, enough to render a Dragonite unconscious. This Raichu is a female.** "

"Challenger, choose your pokémon!" the male subordinate commanded.

 _Hmm, an electric type,_ Ash mused. _Froakie and Butterfree won't stand a chance. Bunsen isn't particularly weak to any electric type moves, but choosing him won't be a very good idea. Bacchus and Pikachu, on the other hand, are resistant to electric attacks, but Pikachu still won't listen to me. Amethyst…She can teleport around the field, but I guess the best choice would be…_

"Pika, Pika Pi!" Just as Ash was about to take out Bacchus' pokeball, Pikachu burst out of his and landed on the field, balling his fists as he looked at his opponent. Pikachu seemed to be glaring at Raichu for some reason and let out low growls as his cheeks sparked dangerously.

"Okay, the challenger has chosen Pikachu!" the male subordinate yelled while the female stifled a giggle and Lt Surge roared in laughter.

"No, it's the wrong choice!" Ash yelled out as he tried to explain that he was planning to send out his Bulbasaur. However, his voice was drowned by Lt Surge's loud howls of laughter.

"Pikachu sure has some world record for bad timing," Misty muttered.

Leaf, however, glared at the scene. "The worst part is that they're not giving him a chance to change his pokémon for the battle!" she cried out.

"This will be an official one-on-one pokémon battle for the Thunder Badge!" The male subordinate announced. "The Gym Leader will be using Raichu while the challenger will be using Pikachu. There will be no time limit. Begin!"

Seeing no choice, Ash decided to give Pikachu a command, even though he knew that the mouse pokémon would not listen to him. "Okay, Pikachu, use Quick Attack," he commanded, almost bored.

As expected, Pikachu did not pay any heed to his trainer and simply unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt onto Raichu. However, much to Ash's and Pikachu's surprise, the electric attack did not affect Raichu at all!

"Haha!" mocked Lt Surge. "Is that all you and your rodent has got? Raichu, show them a real Thunderbolt."

Raichu nodded as she charged up her body with electricity. She then unleashed the deadly bolt, one that was substantially larger than Pikachu's. The bolt then struck Pikachu dead-on and knocked him back several yards. Ash winced as he saw Pikachu roughly crashing into the solid and hard ground, Pikachu lying on the ground in serious pain.

"It's over, baby," Lt Surge said.

"Surge's right, Ash!" yelled Brock from the stands. "This is a mismatch! Call Pikachu back!"

"Raichu is way too strong!" Misty added.

Ash grimaced. Maybe they were right. Pikachu wasn't going to listen to him anyway.

"Pikachu…" Ash sighed. There was no other choice. "Come back."

But to his and everyone's surprise, Pikachu jumped back to his feet and shook his head. He still wanted to battle. He wasn't going to give up so quickly, although he was in great pain that was clearly shown by the huge pants of breath.

"Hey, your Pikachu's pretty gutsy, boy," Lt Surge said as Pikachu ran towards Raichu.

"No!" Ash yelled out in pure frustration. Why wasn't Pikachu listening to him?! "Come back, Pikachu!"

"Raichu, knock him over with Mega Punch and Mega Kick!" Lt Surge hollered.

Raichu reared back a glowing fist and then punched Pikachu right in the face before he could land a hit. Before Pikachu could fly out of range, Raichu jumped towards him and kicked him right in the torso that sent him crashing into a wall.

"Pikachu, no!" Ash cried out. He then turned and glared at Lt Surge. "Surge, stop it!" he called out. "Okay, fine! I for—"

"PIKAA!" screamed a voice from behind. Ash turned back to see Pikachu fire a powerful Thunderbolt that caught Raichu off guard and slammed into her. After the effects of the attack wore off, Raichu was giving Pikachu a steely glare while Lt Surge simply smirked.

"I've got to tell you, kid; your Pikachu's got spirit. But I don't think that he's going to last any longer!" Lt Surge chucked. "Raichu, beat him with Mega Punch!"

"Pikachu, stop!" Ash could swear that his nails were dug deep in his palm as drops of blood slowly oozed out of his palm. As he gritted his teeth, he saw Pikachu being ruthlessly pummeled by Raichu, and it was a clear sign that the mouse pokémon could not take any more. How was Pikachu still standing upright?

Right then, Raichu slammed Pikachu with her tail and sent him flying in the air until he crashed onto the ground. And even though electric attacks did not do that great damage, the massive bolts of electricity were still hurting Pikachu a lot. Even Lt Surge was impressed by the pokémon's endurance.

"Boy, call your Pikachu back if he doesn't wanna die!" Lt Surge practically roared the command out loud; he seemed to be irritated. However, Pikachu was still standing upright, even though he seemed to be struggling to do so.

"You know, I'm not happy to attack your pokémon over and over again, but I gotta do this for the sake of winning this battle. Use Mega Punch one more time, Raichu!" Lt Surge called out.

Raichu nodded before she started to run towards Pikachu on all fours. However, in the nick of time, Pikachu mustered all of his strength to jump out of the way and let Raichu punch nothing but the hard ground.

Pikachu glared at Raichu before shocking her again. This was the last time that he was going to lose to a Raichu. He was going to prove that evolved forms weren't always better!

It was then that Ash noticed something. Raichu seemed to move a lot slower than Pikachu maybe he could use this to his advantage. "Hey, Pikachu!" he called out, and the mouse pokémon glared at him. "Listen, I know you want to win, but if you keep attacking Raichu head-on it's not going to do anything!" At that, Pikachu's glare softened. "Come on, Pikachu. You still have a battle to win. How about we do it together?" Ash suggested.

Pikachu nodded in approval and then turned back to face Raichu, who was shaking her fist to brush off the pain from recoil damage.

"Okay, Pikachu! Let's do it!" Ash said with a grin. "Use Thundershock!"

"Dodge it, Raichu!" Lt Surge commanded.

However, Raichu wasn't able to completely evade the weak bolt of electricity. As she jumped above the ground, the jolt struck her foot and sent her toppling to the ground where she fell face-first.

 _So Raichu isn't fast enough and she's a big target,_ Ash mused. _If Pikachu uses any speed attacks, then the match will be in our favor._ Ash drew a determined face. "Okay, Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu then started to dash towards Raichu while leaving a trail of white light behind and Ash smiled. "I knew it. Surge isn't giving Raichu any orders to use speed attacks."

But just as Pikachu was about to crash into Raichu, she sidestepped and caught Pikachu by the tail just in time. She then slammed Pikachu on the ground by his tail.

"Alright, Raichu – now finish him off with Mega Punch!"

"Pikachu, block it with Iron Tail!" Ash countered.

Just as Raichu was about to jab Pikachu in the face, the yellow rodent brought up his hardened, glowing tail between his face and Raichu's fist, causing her to punch the iron-hard tail. Raichu shrieked from impact and slowly drew back her bad fist. Ash grinned. Raichu could no longer punch Pikachu with that fist.

"What?!" the army veteran exclaimed in shock. "Grr…Raichu, use Body Slam!"

Raichu nodded, wincing from the pain in her fist, but she leapt into the air and took the form of a cannonball. Pikachu, however, jumped out of the way just in time. Raichu ended up missing and she crashed onto the arena floor, groaning in pain from recoil damage.

"Pikachu, use Agility!" Ash said as he grinned at his pokémon.

Pikachu smiled back just before he began to sprint and run incredibly fast. Lt Surge once again commanded his pokémon to use Body Slam, but Raichu once again missed and crashed onto the floor.

"You're Raichu's just too slow, Surge!" Ash called out to the gym leader. "That's her weakness!"

"Grr…Dammit…! Shock that little mouse with a Thunderbolt! Full power!" he roared.

Ash grimaced at the thought of Pikachu's body being covered by electricity…Wait. That gave him an idea. "Pikachu, catch the electricity with your tail!"

If Ash would've said that a month ago, Pikachu would've shocked him a hundred times. But not today. He started to begin to trust the human. Maybe it could develop into a rather good friendship.

Pikachu turned around and nodded his head. He then leapt a foot above the air and brought his tail forward, _sucking_ the massive bolt into his body. Surge and Raichu looked astounded at the sight. Pikachu was bursting with electricity. This could be the end of Surge's winning streak.

"Now, Pikachu – unleash the electricity over your body!" Ash bellowed.

Pikachu took a deep breath. He trusted Ash now, and Ash trusted him. He then let lose all the electricity in his body, and Ash had to shield his eyes from the glowing energy that came off from Pikachu.

A few seconds later, Pikachu darted towards Raichu with all of his speed, looking like a speeding bullet of electricity that slammed into Raichu's torso. The impact created an explosion that knocked back both the pokémon, but Pikachu dug his feet in the ground to stop himself from flying in the air. Raichu, however, was soaring until she banged against the wall and slumped to the floor.

" **Wild Charge: The user shrouds itself in electricity and smashes into its target. It also damages the user a little. Improvisations of this attack can be found here,** " his pokedex suddenly said.

Raichu winced at the impact, but she wasn't going down anytime soon. She quickly stood back up, not worried about the bruises, and waited for Lt Surge's command. "Thunderbolt, Raichu!" Lt Surge commanded.

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Ash hollered.

Pikachu jumped in the air, electricity and multiple sparks surrounding him. He then _willed_ all of the electricity in his body to collect at his tail, channeling downwards to form a humongous yellow orb sparkling with electricity. Pikachu then jumped in the air, performed a front-flip and hurled the orb at Raichu, who had just executed a deadly thunderbolt.

The collision between the two electric attacks was huge enough to shatter the windows and cause a whirlwind of dust. However, it seemed that Raichu's continuous use of Thunderbolt seemed to push the Electro Ball towards Pikachu.

At that, Pikachu unleased a powerful bolt of electricity that coursed towards the ball of lightning and merged with it, surprising everyone in the room. The merging of the attacks was strong enough to push Raichu's attack back, surprising her and Lt Surge, who was looking like he was about to take a million leaks. Raichu strained herself by shooting more electricity, until Raichu could not muster any more electricity from her body.

"RAIIIIII!" the Raichu shrieked as the Pikachu's combined attack slammed into her and caused another explosion. Raichu flew back towards the wall with incredible speed and crashed into it, forming a huge crater. Ash could swear that he heard a crack from the impact. Raichu then fell to the ground, defeated.

Pikachu was extremely content. He was happy that he had defeated his evolved form for the first time. Now no Raichu would mess with him!

"Unbelievable!" was the only thing that came out of Lt Surge's mouth as he recalled his fainted pokémon.

"You did it, Pikachu!" Ash cried out as he ran towards Pikachu. Pikachu turned around and smiled at him as the trainer hugged him. "You won!"

"Pikachu…!" he replied groggily. He then felt his eyes close. "Pikaaa…"

* * *

"Do not worry, Sir," Nurse Joy's voice calmed. "Your Raichu is perfectly alright. There's no need for you to worry too, Mr. Ketchum."

After Pikachu passed out due to exhaustion, Ash quickly took him to the Pokémon Centre to get him healed. Lt Surge did the same to Raichu – he swore that something had happened to his pokémon.

There they had come to know that Raichu had suffered severe damage to her back, due to continuous slams into the wall and misses from Body Slams. Her shoulder bone had cracked, but Nurse Joy and her team of Chansey had quickly healed that. In any case, the nurse had told the gym leader that Raichu wouldn't be let out before a week.

Fortunately, nothing serious had happened to Pikachu except for harsh exhaustion and an overproduction of adrenaline, which had kept Pikachu still conscious during the match. It also seemed that the two pokémon had a newfound respect for each other, and also that Pikachu seemed to like Ash.

"Ahem." Lt's Surge's forced cough diverted the group's attention to him. "That was a brilliant victory, Ash. You've proved that you're no baby."

"Thank you, Lt Surge," Ash responded.

"As proof as your victory, here is your Thunder Badge. You've surely earned it," Lt Surge said as he handed a triangular badge with lightning bolts on it.

"Wow," Ash muttered with delight as he took the badge from Surge's hand. "Would you look at that, Pikachu? It was all thanks to you!" he said as he showed the badge to the rodent, who weakly opened his eyes as he lied on the bed.

"Um, I guess we're now friends, right Pikachu?" Ash asked as he put forward a hand.

Pikachu grinned devilishly at the gesture. He then let out a harmless Thunder Wave from his body that struck Ash on his hand and made him jerk around in his position.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Ash asked with a playful pout, while everyone else laughed.

* * *

 **And that's all for today! I think this one chapter will start the streak where the non-canon timeline starts (save for Butterfree's release :/). The next chapter will kinda be a filler, and after that you'll be seeing several rivalry battles. Once again, thanks for the support! 'Preciate it.**

 **Like I said, Pikachu was portrayed like a beast here. I actually have a reason for this, a stupid one, and you might've missed it while you were reading. Anyway, I'll see you guys in the next chapter! Buh-bye!**

 **Chapter 15 - Vermillion's Water Tournament!**

 ** _ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE THEM GET NEW POKEMON EGGS ABROAD THE SAINT ANNE._**

Nope. Sorry.

 ** _How long until Froakie gains Burst Evolution, and will any of Ash's other Pokémon gain it ?_**

Froakie will only obtain Burst Evolution once he achieves his final evolutionary state. As for other pokemon attaining Burst Evolution, I don't know...But if it happens, it most probably is going to be Amethsyt.

 ** _Bitch misty_**

As I said before, I'm not going to bitch Misty. I'VE SAID IT SO MANY TIMES FOR ARCEUS' SAKE

Ahem. Sorry for the random outburst. As I've said before, I'm not going to bitch her. Why do so many people want to get her bashed?

 ** _would like ash catch shinies pokemon._**

Ash will get a shiny pokemon, apart from Noctowl. You'll just have to wait till then.


	15. Vermillion's Water Tournament

**Hello, dear readers! How long has it been? Ten days? Anyway, here is the next chapter for _The Nomad._ I actually finished this a long time ago, but I just didn't have any time to publish it. Sorry.**

 **In other news, a new trailer for Pokemon Sun and Moon has come out! Although I have to say, I'm pretty disappointed for the types the legendary pokemon have. I mean, they should've totally brought in a new type ( _cough,_ cosmic, _cough_ ) that would really suit both of them. Lunala as a ghost and psychic type isn't THAT surprising, but I would've liked it to get a cosmic type. About Solgaleo, I wasn't too disappointed since it wouldn't have the fire type anyway.**

 **AND OMG THERE IS A POKEDEX ROTOM IT LOOKS SO DAMN CUTE AND AMAZING OHMAHGAWD I AM SO HYPED**

 **Ahem. Sorry 'bout that.**

 **Anyway, I took this chapter as inspiration from FanaticLAguy06's _The Road To Be a Pokemon Master._ This is mainly a Leaf-focused chapter.R &R!**

* * *

Ash zipped his backpack close. It was now time to leave from Vermillion City. Like Cerulean City, they had a pretty eventful time in Vermillion too. Ash had caught a new pokémon and received his third gym badge as well. His mother was extremely happy to receive the news but anger filled inside him once Professor Oak told him that Gary had already got his fourth badge. And unlike the time when they lost their way to reach Vermillion, Celadon City wasn't far away and had a definite route to there.

But just as they were about to reach the outskirts of the grand city, a certain attraction caught their eyes. A few people were setting up something that seemed like a stadium in the water, along with the help of a few cranes and several Machoke. Ash, curious as ever, walked up to the construction site to see an enormous poster hanging by the entrance.

 **MONSTER WAVES CONTEST!**

 _Vermillion City_

Participate in Vermillion City's Monster Waves Contest, wherein you battle other trainers with your own water pokémon! However, the water pokémon _must be caught within the tournament boundaries_ once the competition starts. The winner shall FOUR TICKETS on the S.S. Anne for a trip to Cinnabar Island for four days!

Entrance Fee for registration: 75 pokédollars

Time of registration: 11 AM

"Wow, a tournament!" Ash exclaimed while grinning. However, his smile quickly faltered. "But…I don't think we'll be able to wait in Vermillion City for more time. I have to get my Gym Badge in Celadon City!"

Misty yawned. "Oh come on, Ash!" She pouted. "We can at least participate in this tournament! Who knows if this could help me become a better water trainer? Not everything revolves around you," she said with a roll of her eyes. "And this is a trip to _Cinnabar Island_ ," she added, emphasizing on the tourist destination.

"B-But…"

"Ash, why don't we wait for another day just to see how this tournament goes?" Brock said. "I mean, Misty too has to achieve her dream. And if she does win, we'll get to go to Cinnabar Island! The hot springs there are perfect to groom my pokémon!"

"What?" Ash looked at Brock with a raised eyebrow. "You think you're going to groom you Onix and Geodude?"

Brock looked sheepishly at the ground. "All I'm saying is…"

"Ash, why don't we just try out this thing?" Leaf said with her most innocent face put on. "If we do win, Cinnabar is a great tourist spot. Plus, there is a gym there too!" she added.

The word 'Gym' instantly hit Ash and he started to reconsider his thoughts. Hitting the Cinnabar Gym was certainly better, since he wouldn't have to go to the isolated destination again. "I guess a try wouldn't hurt…"

* * *

"Good morning, everyone!" a voice boomed over the speakers. "And welcome to the Monster Waves Contest!"

"YEAH!" the crowd roared in approval. Ash smiled as well, despite him being upset of losing a day's travel. He, Misty and Leaf had all registered themselves for the water tournament while Brock had opted out since he wanted to call himself a monotype trainer. Out of the whole crowd, there were thirty-two contestants that would pose quite a challenge for the three. _Five rounds,_ Ash mused as his eyes roved around the stadium.

The stadium was quite peculiar – it was one that hovered above the sea that surrounded Vermillion City. In the middle of the battlefield was a patch of water that was in the shape of a pokeball. The people who were hosting this certainly didn't waste a pokécent.

Ash, Misty and Leaf all had different thoughts in their mind. Ash was constantly thinking about winning the trip to Cinnabar Island only so that he could get his next Gym Badge. A smile split across his face at the thought of defeating Blaine, and that made him even more determined to win the tournament.

Misty, however, had excitement being pumped in her blood. She really wanted to win this tournament so that she could be one step close to being a Water Master. The best part was that she would win a trip to Cinnabar Island too, which was a tourist destination. She couldn't help but be excited at the thought of relaxing on the beach for a few more days.

Leaf had different thoughts on her mind. Was she going to win this tournament? She had no idea of the kind of trainers she was going to face. Furthermore, Misty was a competent trainer, a water type trainer and a _Gym Leader_. She certainly wasn't going to lose quite easily. Another though occurred to her. Who was Ash going to root for? Was he going to root for her or Misty? Fear started to creep inside her. What if he rooted for Misty instead of her, just because she wanted to be a Water Master? What if Ash liked Misty more that he liked her? What's worse was that if Misty liked Ash back.

Leaf shook her head. What was going on in her mind? Certainly she didn't have a crush on Ash. Or did she…?

"Hey, Leaf. What's wrong?" Ash asked her with a smile.

"Nothing…I'm just a bit nervous…" Leaf lied, but Misty didn't seem very convinced.

"And now," the voice boomed once again, capturing everyone's attention, "we shall start the preliminary rounds! At the count of three, you all shall head to the fishing shack to receive a fishing rod! But be careful!" the announcer added. "There are only a sixteen fishing rods inside the shack!" Murmurs rose amongst the crowds. "If you do not capture a pokémon within the time limit of 300 seconds, you will be out. So, shall we begin?"

The crowd cheered in agreement. Taking their cue, Ash, Misty and Leaf walked down from the stands along with several trainers and took their positions dramatically at the start line. They could all hear the referee, but once the sound of a gunshot echoed everyone sprinted like no tomorrow.

Almost everyone was a good runner, especially Misty. She was the first one to zip past everyone else and jump into the fishing shack. A few other trainers went next, followed by Leaf and Ash, who together tried to squeeze inside the feeble structure. Ash just got a glimpse of Misty jumping through the window, and he couldn't help but chuckle in amusement.

A whack on his head brought him back to reality. "Ash, there's no more fishing rods left!" Leaf's voice said, and an expression of horror appeared on his face. "Don't worry. I've got an extra one for you." She handed the old, rusty rod to Ash, who dutifully accepted it.

"Gee, thanks Leaf," Ash said with a grin. He was quite happy that she had saved a fishing rod for him. The others, who hadn't got one, simply groaned in frustration and grumbled as they walked out.

* * *

Ash sighed. Fishing certainly was a sport for patient ones.

For the first thirty seconds, Ash was cool and calm as the lure bobbed up and down on the surface of the water. However, once two minutes were over, Ash started to get really annoyed and he thrashed around his fishing rod in the water. That was until the line of his rod was being tugged and a wide grin split across Ash's face.

"Alright!" he cried out in excitement, reeling in the nylon line that was still being pulled by the water type under the surface of the water. Ash mustered all of his strength to his arms, until he finally brought out the pokémon that flew in the air before landing on the sandy coast.

" **Krabby, the river crab pokémon, is a water type pokémon,** " the pokedex said once Ash decided to scan it. " **Krabby's pincers are not only used as powerful weapons – they are also used for balance while walking sideways. This Krabby is a male.** "

"Perfect!" he exclaimed. "I'm going to catch this Krabby." He unclipped a pokeball from his belt. "Listen up, Krabby! You're mine!" Ash shouted.

The Krabby stopped, put down the bait and looked at Ash curiously.

"Bacchus, I choose you!" Ash yelled as he threw the pokeball to release the grass type.

"Bulbasaur!" cried the seed pokémon once he burst out of the pokeball.

"Bacchus, use Razor Leaf!" Ash commanded.

Bacchus immediately launched a flurry of sharp leaves from under his bulb straight at Krabby, but the river crab was ready. He immediately shot out his pincers and started to snip up the leaves effectively with his pincers, allowing only a minute number of leaves to hit against his body. Even then, the attack didn't seem to do much damage against Krabby's exoskeleton.

"Hey, that's not bad," Ash praised with a smile. "Let's see you handle this! Bacchus, use Stun Spore!"

Bacchus nodded and immediately shot a ball of yellow that exploded mid-air and sailed towards Krabby before settling down on his body. But before the spores could take effect, Krabby speedily walked to the water and washed his body, removing the spores.

Ash gritted his teeth. "Bacchus, don't let him get away! Use your vines to grab him and then slam him on the ground!"

"Krab, Krabby!" Krabby exclaimed as he swiftly dodged Bacchus' vines and came back on land. Ash's lips curled into a smile. He would definitely love to have a pokémon like that on his team. "Okay, Bacchus! Use Leech Seed!"

"Bulba, Saur!" Bacchus yelled as he shot a small, glowing seed from his bulb.

The seed sailed through the air, unnoticed by Krabby, until I bounced against the pokémon's exoskeleton and vines shot out from the seed. The vines wrapped around his body, restricting his movements and sucking out his energy every second.

"Good job! Now use Take Down!"

Bacchus pawed at the ground before dashing towards Krabby and slamming into him, sending him soaring in the air before the river crab pokémon crashed onto the sand.

"Now use Vine Whip and slam him on the ground!" Ash called out.

"Bulbasaur!" he yelled as two vines shot out from under the bulb on his back. The vines wrapped around the two pincers before slamming Krabby on the ground, leaving him in a dazed state.

It was then that Ash decided to throw the pokeball. The red-and-white sphere soared through the air before bouncing off Krabby's body and effectively sucking him inside. The ball shook for a few seconds before stopping and making a clicking sound, confirming that Krabby was caught.

"Alright, I caught a Krabby!" But before Ash could go and collect it, the referee had already pressed the trigger of the air gun. Ash had caught his pokémon in the nick of time.

* * *

"Welcome back, everyone!" the commentator announced. "It seems that out of the thirty-two competitors, there are only sixteen left! How much more exciting could this get?" The crowd cheered once again. "And now, we shall have our matchups for the first round!" The crowd's attention was diverted to a huge screen which sprung to life and had sixteen digital cards on it. The cards shuffled for a few seconds before they stopped and formed eight pairs. Ash scanned the screen to search for his face and soon found himself to be paired up with Leaf.

"The first match will be between trainers Jackie Lee and Bruce Chan, followed by Ryan Browning and Susan White…" The announcer went on for another minute to read out all the matchups. Ash was just ready to beat Leaf to a pulp. "And now, we shall leave our contestants to change into their swimwear for the match!"

* * *

"You sure are lucky, Ash," Brock told him.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Ash looked at Brock with a confused expression once he finally put on his cap. He was wearing his red swimming trunks while the other boys went on to change into the swimwear as well. Apparently the organizers wanted them to battle with their swim-related-clothes on so that it would seem more like a water type tournament.

Brock got a mischievous smile on his face as he continuously cocked his eyebrows. "I mean, you have two girls that like you and travel with you. Why don't you do anything about it?"

"What?!" he exclaimed in surprise.

"Heheheh…Leaf and Misty are pretty cute, eh?" the older boy teased.

Ash's cheeks turned red and he hid his face in embarrassment. "Stop it Brock…"

"When you're older, come to the Brockster, the love expert," Brock announced as he nudged Ash.

Ash blushed even further while Amethyst and Brock sniggered. Why was Brock teasing him about Misty and Leaf? They were just his friends. He couldn't say that exactly about Misty, who used to always get annoyed with him, but Leaf was there with him since she came to Pallet Town.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when Leaf and Misty arrived from the changing room. Misty was wearing a simple, red bikini that was similar to the ones that Ash had seen the Sensational Sisters wear. Even though it wasn't flashy, it certainly attracted a lot of attention from the other competitors. The teenage boys were eyeing her while a few girls were fuming with jealousy over her well-toned body. Leaf was dressed in a blue sundress with floral patterns and a yellow sunhat on her head. Ash was quite impressed by how pretty they looked.

"So, guys? Do I look good?" Misty asked as she put her hands on her hips.

"You look excellent!" Brock complimented.

"Yes! You look great, Misty!" Ash smiled as he gave her a thumbs-up.

Leaf's smile faltered. "What about me, Ash?" she asked, almost sad.

"Oh yeah, Leaf, you look great too!" Ash complimented her too, making her feel a little better.

"Thank you, Ash," she said, but she still sounded sad.

"Is something wrong, Leaf?" Misty asked.

Leaf forced a smile. "It's nothing."

"Come on, guys. It's time to start the tournament," Brock noticed as he saw the rest of the contenders walking out of the changing room. "Ash, Leaf, your battle is third, right?" Ash nodded. "Let's go! Do your best, everyone!"

* * *

"This will be a one-one-one match! There will be no time limit. Begin!" the referee called out.

"Go, Krabby!" Ash called out. He was certain that Krabby would win, since he had already put on quite a display against Bacchus.

"This is going to be easy. Chinchou, go!" Leaf called out as a small, round, blue, fish-like pokémon burst out from the pokeball. She had a pair of tiny white fins and two small blue feet. The pokémon had plus-signs for pupils and two antennae were positioned on her rear like two tails. At the end of each antenna was a yellow, teardrop-shaped orb. The orbs glowed like a lightbulb continuously being switched on and off until they stopped glowing.

"What pokémon is that…?" Ash murmured as he scanned the pokémon with his pokedex.

" **Chinchou, the angler pokémon, is a dual water and electric type pokémon** ," the pokedex stated in its monotone voice. " **Chinchou's two antennas are filled with cells that generate and store electricity. This Chinchou is a female.** "

"Ash, watch out!" Misty called out from one of the front rows. "Chinchou is a part-electric type pokémon!"

Ash nodded in acknowledgement. Unlike the battle with Bacchus, Krabby would actually be hurt by the electric attacks from Chinchou. Most grass type attacks would only hit the flesh of a pokémon, but an electric attack would go through the gaps and fry the cells. At the most, Krabby could take only two or three attacks. Ash had to do this carefully.

"Okay, Krabby! Let's do this!" Ash called out.

"Krab, Krabby Krab!" Krabby voiced out in approval.

"Okay, Chinchou, use Thunder Wave!" Leaf ordered.

"Dodge it, Krabby!" Ash called out.

Chinchou gave a high-pitched cry as she released weak sparks of electricity from each of the orbs on her antennas. However, Krabby quickly skittered away and evaded both of the jolts of electricity.

"Use Mud Sport, Krabby!" Ash called out.

Krabby gave an equivalent of a nod and tucked in his limbs before speedily rolling on the ground. After standing on all eight of his legs, the amount of sand on his body was magically infused with water and created a coating of mud that covered Krabby's body, which would hopefully resist Chinchou's electric type attacks.

"Chinchou, keep using Thunder Wave!" ordered Leaf.

"Keep dodging it, Krabby!" Ash shouted.

Krabby kept evading each jolt of electricity that came to his way, angering Leaf even further. However, the constant evasion was tiring down the river crab until a few jolts of electricity successfully struck Krabby on a few of his feet, paralyzing them.

"Oh no!" cried Ash.

"Oh yes!" his opponent said with a smirk. "Chinchou, use Bubble!"

Chinchou immediately opened her small mouth and shot a small stream of glowing bubbles that crashed against Krabby's body and exploded against his exoskeleton. Although it did not do much damage, it managed to wash off part of the mud coating on Krabby's body.

"Why isn't she ordering Chinchou to use any electric attacks?" Brock asked from the stands.

"Misty shrugged. "I don't know. Probably Chinchou doesn't know any."

"Grr…Krabby, use Harden!" Ash ordered.

"Don't let him, Chinchou! Attack with Bubble!" Leaf commanded.

"In that case, use Bubble Beam!" Ash countered.

Chinchou once again let out a stream of bubbles that sped towards Krabby. The river crab too let out a torrent of bubbles, this time much bigger and longer, which crashed against Chinchou's bubbles and destroyed them. A few managed to hit Chinchou on her anglers, and she shrieked in pain – revealing her sensitive part.

"Great! Now, Krabby, use Vice Grip!" Ash called out.

"Just what I was waiting for…" Leaf mumbled with a smug smile.

Krabby then skittered towards Chinchou, who did her best to evade the attack, but Krabby was faster. He quickly pinched the angler pokémon with both his claws, earning a short squeal.

"Now, Chinchou – use Spark!"

Ash's eyes widened as Chinchou's body was surrounded by electricity before running towards Krabby. Krabby, who was only a short distance away, had no time to react and was hit by the electrically charged tackle, sending him a few feet away from Chinchou where he crashed onto the ground.

"No, Krabby!"

Hearing his name being called out was all that was needed for Krabby to summon all of his strength inside of him. Krabby glared at Chinchou, who whimpered in fear, and he then opened his claws. The inside of the claws started to glow before Krabby shot a blob of mud that quickly soared towards Chinchou and slammed against her body, sticking her to the ground leaving her in a dazed state.

"What was that?!" Ash asked in amazement. He checked up his pokedex, which informed him that it was Mud Shot – an attack that Krabby had just learned.

 _If Chinchou takes another hit, then she's a goner,_ Leaf thought. "Chinchou, use Confuse Ray!"

"Dodge it, Krabby!" Ash called out.

But once again, Krabby's legs failed him, the ones that were already paralyzed, and he instead fell to the ground before standing up. The peculiar ray of alien energy struck him just in time before he got up, sending him into a confused state as his vision was blurred and all he could hear were high-pitched sounds.

"Yes!" Leaf whispered in excitement. "Chinchou, use Spark!"

Chinchou once again gave Krabby an electrically charged tackle, and this time Krabby was down for the count.

"Krabby is unable to battle! Therefore the winner is Leaf Rose and her Chinchou!" the referee announced.

"That was a great battle, Leaf!" Misty said as she shook hands with her. "I knew you had it in you."

Leaf blushed, but her attention was then diverted towards Ash. Was Ash not going to like her because she defeated him in a battle? Was this battle going to affect their relationship? Oh, no. Or was it—

"That was amazing, Leaf!" Ash congratulated. "I thought that Krabby would've finished Chinchou with another Mud Shot, but using Confuse Ray was brilliant." He gave her a thumbs-up.

"T-Thank you, Ash," Leaf said. She shut her eyes tight. She was just acting like a fool. She knew that Ash wouldn't take the loss very hard and in fact he was genuinely happy that she had one. What was more embarrassing was the fact that she had won only because of a type advantage. In any case, she was just worried about Ash and Misty liking each other.

* * *

It had been some really tough matches, but Leaf and Misty had both gotten through the rest of the rounds. Leaf had easily swept past every trainer with the help of Chinchou. Misty had also won the rest of her matches with her Horsea, who proved to be a capable battler. Misty was pretty excited for the final round against Leaf, but the chestnut-haired girl was still upset because of everything. They were given ten minutes of rest before the final round begun.

Leaf gritted her teeth. She wanted to defeat Misty so badly! She wanted to prove to Ash that she did not just collect pokémon and not train them. But even if she would won, Ash wouldn't give her that much of recognition, simply because she won due to a type advantage. She just didn't know what to do.

"So, Ash," Misty said with a smirk, "Who do you want to win, huh?"

Ash smiled at her. "Well, I would be happy if you won, because you would be one step closer to be a Water Master, but—"

"What about ME, Ash?!" Leaf suddenly yelled out loud, unshed tears in her eyes. Ash, Brock and Misty looked at her in fear and confusion. "What, you don't want me to win?! If you don't, then you can just say it out loud!"

Ash just sat there like as if his voice was taken away from him. He was completely taken aback. What had happened to Leaf? If only she would tell him. He hated to see her like this.

Misty then got a very angry look on her face. "What is wrong with you, Leaf? What is it with you?!"

"Nothing," she hissed, but Misty didn't buy it.

"You're coming with me. NOW!" she roared, dragging Leaf to one of the changing rooms while Ash, Brock and Amethyst just sat there, shocked at Leaf's random outburst.

* * *

"What is with all this, Leaf?" Misty asked angrily. "I can't believe you just did that!"

"I-I-I…"

"Uh-huh?" Misty probed.

"Do you…Do you like Ash…more than a friend?" Leaf asked, before biting her tongue. She couldn't believe that she'd just said that.

Misty rolled her eyes once she knew where this was all going. "Oh, I see. You like him, don't you?"

"Uh…"

"Do you, or do you not have a crush on him?" Misty reiterated.

Leaf sighed. "Yes…Yes I do."

"Leaf, you don't have to worry about a thing!" Misty scolded. "I don't like him! He's just my friend! And personally, I can't believe that you like him," she said with a friendly smirk, making Leaf giggle as tears slid down her cheek.

"Look, I don't even know him properly. I've just known him for the past few weeks, while you've known him for your whole life!" Misty sighed. "Look, I think Ash likes you as well, but he just doesn't know it. So are we okay?"

Leaf smiled. She didn't have to be jealous of any other girl's relationship with him. She had known Ash since he was a kid. "We're okay," she said with a smile.

* * *

Misty and Leaf were now standing at each end of the battlefield, ready to face each other in the finals of the tournament. Leaf had gotten over her jealousy and made it up to Ash by embracing him and apologizing to him. However, she wasn't ready to just go easy on Misty and she gave her a smile as the referee announced the rules.

"This is the finals of the Monster Waves Contest between Leaf Rose and Misty Waterflower!" the referee declared. "Whoever wins this round shall receive the grand prize of winning four tickets on the S.S. Anne. The trainers shall now send forth their pokémon!"

"Chinchou, go!" Leaf called out, the electric and water type bursting out of her pokeball and landing on the ground.

"Horsea, I choose you!" Misty shouted as she tossed a net-ball into the air. Leaf, Brock and Ash watched as a small, blue, seahorse-like pokémon with a single dorsal fin and slightly curled tail came forth. The pokémon had three spike-like projections on either side of her head and a long, tubular snout.

"A Horsea…" Leaf murmured as she scanned the pokémon with her pokedex.

" **Horsea, the dragon pokémon, is a water type pokémon. It is known to shoot down flying targets with precision blasts of ink from the surface of the water. This Horsea is a female,** " the pokedex explained.

"Begin!" the referee declared.

"Okay, Chinchou, use Thunder Wave!" Leaf ordered.

"Horsea, use Smokescreen!" Misty ordered, a quick jet of black ink shooting towards Chinchou and striking the weak jolt of electricity that would've paralyzed the seahorse. Leaf cursed as Chinchou wriggled in disgust as a few drops of ink struck her face.

"Horsea, Leer!" Horsea nodded as her eyes glowed red and gave Chinchou an intimidating leer with her sharp eyes. A shiver ran down Chinchou's back before she regained her focus.

"Chinchou, use Water Gun!" Leaf commanded.

"You use your Water Gun too, Horsea!" Misty called out.

The two water type pokémon set off to shoot powerful blasts of water at each other. The jets of water struck each other and pushed both pokémon further away from each other.

"Now use Smokescreen, Horsea!" Misty hollered. "Aim for her eyes!"

Horsea nodded as she shot a blob of ink towards Chinchou, hitting her between her eyes. The ink then exploded and covered the angler pokémon's entire face, blinding her.

"Chinchou, use Spark!" Leaf yelled.

"Horsea, Smokescreen on the ground!" Misty retorted.

As Chinchou was skittling towards her opponent with her body bursting with electricity, Horsea blasted the ground with thick, black ink. Chinchou slipped on the now-wet ground and landed face first on the ground. Electricity from her body was let loose and it coursed through the ink, electrocuting herself.

"Oh, no," Leaf muttered sadly. _If this keeps going, then Misty is surely going to win._

"Whoa. Misty's not letting the type disadvantage deter her," Ash told Brock in admiration.

"Quite right," Brock replied. "She'll surely become an able battler in the future."

"Chinchou, get up!" Leaf called out. Her pokémon stood on her feet but she once again fell flat on her face once she slipped on the sticky ground surrounding her.

Taking this chance, Misty was readied herself to give out an order. "Horsea, use Focus Energy!" Horsea then took a deep breath through her elongated snout and focused all her strength in her muscles. A faint, white glow surrounded her for a moment before it disappeared into the air to give Horsea a more determined look.

"Now use Water Gun!"

While Chinchou continued to struggle to stand upright, Horsea blasted her with a forceful shot of water that struck her on her midsection and sent her soaring back. Although Leaf wasn't quite happy that Chinchou had been hurt, she heaved a sigh of relief that Chinchou was no longer on the slippery ground.

It was then that Leaf got an idea to wash off the ink on her pokémon's face. "Chinchou, use Water Gun on yourself!" she hollered.

Chinchou turned upwards and managed to shoot a thick blast of water in the air, and moments later stopped. The water then broke apart and then showered upon Chinchou and completely drenched her. Once it was finished, Chinchou shook her body several times and looked as good as new. The ink had been washed off.

"That was smart to have Chinchou use Water Gun on herself to wash the Smokescreen off," Brock acknowledged.

"Alright, Chinchou!" she shouted. "Now use Take Down!"

"Horsea, use Water Gun!" Misty countered.

 _Exactly what I was waiting for,_ Leaf thought. "Chinchou, cancel that Take Down, and shoot a Thunder Wave straight through the Water Gun!"

Misty's pleased expression turned into one of horror as a feeble streak of electricity shot straight through the blast of water that was heading towards Chinchou. The electricity struck Horsea's body and paralyzed her, but it also did a bit of damage since the water multiplied its power by multiple folds. Horsea cringed in pain from the attack and she seemed to be immobilized in her spot.

"Great job, Chinchou," Leaf said with a smile. "Now attack her with Spark!"

"Aim Water Gun directly below you!" her opponent countered.

Horsea then turned down, and with great difficulty, managed to release a beam of water. The attack projected the dragon pokémon in the air, saving her from Chinchou's devastating electric attack. Instead, the pillar of water struck Chinchou from above and induced great damage to her.

A second later, Horsea started to plummet to the ground. Second by second her speed increased as she accelerated straight towards the ground, where a dazed Chinchou was directly below her. Chinchou, still stunned from the previous attack to the head, did not see Horsea above her and was too slow to evade her. It was then that Horsea crashed into Chinchou and kicked up a thin veil of dust. After what seemed to be an eternity, the dust cleared up to show Chinchou weakly opening her eyes and staring at Horsea while the dragon pokémon did the same.

Horsea and Chinchou continued to stare into each other's eyes for a good thirty seconds until Chinchou's legs began to fail her. After a strong glare, Chinchou's eyes widened in defeat and she collapsed onto the ground.

"That's it! The winner of this match and this tournament is Misty Waterflower!" the referee declared.

Leaf stood there in shock for a moment before giving a sad smile and returning Chinchou back to her pokeball. Misty, however, started to jump up and down in joy – she was one step closer to achieving her dream. Ash and Brock ran over to Misty, while Leaf did the same, only slower.

"You were great, Misty!" Ash praised.

"You really came through. Your tactics were amazing!" Brock added.

It was then that Ash noticed Leaf kicking the dust on the ground. Looking at her expression, it didn't take a genius to figure out that even though she was happy for Misty's win, she was pretty sad for her own loss.

"Hey Leaf," Ash said once he stopped right next to her, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Hi, Ash," she replied with a smile. Ash, however, could see right through it and noticed her sad tone.

"Listen, Leaf…" Ash started, but the brunette cut him off.

"It doesn't matter, Ash," Leaf interrupted with a smile. "I'm actually happy for Misty winning the tournament." She rolled her eyes after looking at Ash's raised eyebrow for a few seconds. "Okay, I am a little sad but it doesn't matter! We got the tickets for St Anne anyway."

Ash smiled back at her. He hoped they were going to enjoy their trip to Cinnabar Island.

* * *

"Is it done?"

Several people stood in an oddly shaped room, one that was several floors under the Celadon City Game Corner. The room was poorly lit, but there was enough light for one to see everything placed in the room. A well-dressed man petted his Persian while another, this time in a black uniform with a crimson 'R' emblazoned on his chest, walked slowly.

"Yes it is, sir," he replied, his lips curling upwards until they formed a sadistic grin. The Persian purred as her owner continued to pet her head, and even though the man did not seem to show any expression one could see a hint of a smile.

"Good." He tapped his fingers on the mahogany table, the rings on each finger rapping against it. "Petrel, I want all your men stationed on the S.S. Anne right now. I hope Jessie, James and that talking cat have given out free tickets to competent trainers, yes?"

The man – Petrel – nodded.

"Splendid," his boss muttered.

Petrel grinned even madder. "The idea of a tournament was absolutely amazing, sir. The winner was strong, too." He cocked his eyebrows. "A Gym Leader."

"She might have some great pokémon to take. Anyway, I hope no blunder occurs during your mission. And pay more attention to the ghosts, will you?" Petrel nodded in acknowledgement.

The boss smiled. "It looks like the S.S. Anne is going to take a little detour."

* * *

 **I'm not to fond of the last part, but I just had to put it in because I had to show what TR was planning, otherwise the Tournament would be there for absolutely no reason. Yes, Ash and co do not get the tickets for the ganguro girls, but instead from this Rocket-sponsored tournament. Furthermore, Ash, Leaf and Misty each get a pokemon on their team, with Ash and Misty's being canonical.**

 **The next chapter will be the S.S. Anne chapter, followed by Butterfree's release (sob) and then the Celadon Arc. Tell me your thoughts about this chapter, guys! Good night from India and cheers!**

 **Chapter 16 - Trouble aboard the St Anne!**

 _ **CAN YOU HAVE ASH CATCH ALOT OF DIFFERENT POKEMON IN THE SAFARI THAT AREN;T TAUROS**_

Yes he will catch pokemon other than Tauros. And he won't catch all of them, that's for sure. I always found it weird.

 _ **ash is get a girl and eevee**_

It's already there in the description that it's going to be FurtherShipping. And Ash's isn't going to get an Eevee. Sorry.


	16. Trouble aboard the St Anne!

The group of four—

"Five!" Ash yelled out. "You have to count Amethyst, too!"

Okay, fine. The group of five stared at the sight in front of them. The S.S. Anne was very impressive – it was one of the largest ships in the world, larger than an adult Wailord. Ash couldn't figure out how such a magnificent ship, one that was could hold a couple thousand people, could stay afloat.

Ash and his friends had already packed their things for their journey towards Cinnabar Island. Ash couldn't help but think about his victory over Blaine and taking the Volcano Badge. Sure, Blaine was a strong Gym Leader, but he would use his weaker set of pokémon once he would know that Ash had obtained only two badges. With Krabby and Froakie on his side, he would surely take down Blaine and his team of fiery hot pokémon. _And then, I'll be a step ahead of Gary Oak!_

"Ash, come on!" Came Brock voice from not afar, and Ash shook his head to see a long line already forming. He grinned sheepishly and ran towards Brock, preventing further people to stand in front of him. He was a little annoyed that several people were ahead of him, but it didn't matter. He was anyway going to get into the humongous ship.

Ash turned behind as he took a step ahead. There he saw a line of people – possibly longer than the ship, Ash joked – tailing behind him and he heaved a sigh of relief. He was glad that he had arrived minutes early at the dock.

"Tickets, please," a sailor demanded in a polite tone, and Ash immediately complied. The sailor scanned all four tickets with a barcode reader, making sure that they were legitimate and not bogus. A few seconds later he returned the tickets to the group and said: "Okay then. Your rooms are in the lower compartments – D149 to D151 and another in D158. If there is any inconvenience of if you wish for assistance, please dial 0-9-1 with the help of your personal intercoms." He bowed once again before the group entered the ship.

"I think these are second-class compartments," Misty complained once they reached their quarters.

Ash rolled his eyes. Apparently Misty could never stop whining. "Misty, at least be happy that we got to get into this place." He scoffed.

Brock simply shrugged. "I don't know. Personally, I feel that even the lowest of all cabins are luxurious. That's what's shown in this pamphlet anyway." He brought up a piece of paper in his hand that boasted off a beautiful looking room, along with several things written on the piece.

"But didn't that sailor tell us that one of the rooms is in D158?" Leaf suddenly brought up suddenly. "That means one of us will have to be separated from the rest."

Brock took no time to speak up. "I'll take it." He snorted and smirked. "Honestly, I don't see the problem in staying in that cabin. I mean, it's just thirty seconds away."

Although it wasn't the pinnacle of luxury, Ash's room was the nicest place he had ever been in. Before he had come here, the best place he had gone to was when he was a kid and his mother used to take him to Acapulco for a week. And right now, that seemed nothing in comparison to this.

His room was elegant. It wasn't quite big, but it wasn't small either. It just…fit. Ash's eyes roved around the room, settling on the minibar for a few seconds before he looked at a large, fluffy bed, a TV and much, much more.

Ash threw his backpack in the corner before he looked at the shower compartment in his room. A split-second later, his eyes turned towards the bed, and he grinningly took his shoes off in an attempt to sleep. He jumped, and a second later he found himself curling up in delight on the warm bed. He felt like he was sinking in a warm marshmallow, and he was about to sleep if he didn't have to meet up with his friends sometime later.

 _I guess a nap couldn't hurt,_ Ash mused as he felt himself going into a deep slumber…

* * *

"Ow!" Ash cried out, in obvious pain, from Misty's smack to the head. "What was that for?!"

Misty smacked him on the head once again. "That's for making us wait for an hour just for your godly ass to show up!"

"Psst," a man whispered. Hey! You four, come here!"

The group turned around to see a short man with a moustache and brown hair. He was wearing a white, buttoned shirt and a white headband. Next to him, however, was a Magikarp swimming in a fish tank.

"Hey! I got a deal for ya!" the man proposed once the group came over to him. "I'll let you have this Magikarp for only 500 pokédollars, yo! Did ya know that Magikarp lays a million eggs at a time? Each of those million Magikarp lays a million more eggs! If you sell each of those Magikarp, you'll be a million times richer!"

Ash was about to refuse, but, to his surprise, Misty spoke up.

"I'll take it!" Misty exclaimed.

"What?!" everyone else exclaimed in surprise.

"Don't you know that a Magikarp evolves into a Gyarados?" Misty asked. "I'm trying to be the best water-type trainer in the world. I have to be able to master all of them, even if it is a Sharpedo or a Gyarados!"

"Then why don't you fish for it?" Ash questioned. "This isn't a rare pokémon," he added.

"It's because I'm scared of Gyarados. Fishing for one scares me for what a Magikarp could become. If I pass up this opportunity, I'll never get the chance to get one," Misty explained.

Ash sighed. "It's your choice then…"

Misty turned to the salesman and handed over a wad of pokédollars. "Alright, I'll take one!"

"Heheheh…I can tell that you will become a very rich girl!" The man chuckled as he handed over a shiny, new pokeball in exchange for the money. Misty rolled her eyes as she took the ball and gave a deadpan look at the man.

"Cut the crap," she muttered as she snatched the pokeball. "I'm not doing this to become rich. I'm doing this to become the world's strongest water-type trainer."

"Anyway, I don't give refunds!" the man said hurriedly as the group walked away.

"Creep," Misty muttered and rolled her eyes.

Ash clutched the straps of his backpack. "So, where do we head to next? I've heard that there's a lot to do here," he said.

"I think we should head to the deck!" Misty suggested excitedly. "I mean, the clear, blue waters, the cool breeze…It'll be so nice!"

"Yeeeeeeeaaaah…" Leaf gave her a skeptical look. "But I don't think the best idea will be to laze around on the deck."

"Hey guys, they've got everything written in this manual," Brock suddenly said. He flipped open the pamphlet and started to read it. "They've got an underwater viewing area, a battle stadium—"

"Say what?!" Ash immediately ran up to Brock, snatched the pamphlet from his hands and started to read it himself. A few seconds later a grin started to slowly grow on his face until it couldn't get any bigger. "I say that we should get to the stadium! It's on the lower floors, guys!"

Misty hummed before she shook her head. "Nah, I don't think so. I'd rather go to underwater-thingy they have."

Leaf smiled and looked intently at Ash. "I'll prefer going with Ash, if it's okay."

"Yeah, no problem!" he replied while giving her a thumbs-up.

"What about you, Brock?" Misty asked.

The teenager shrugged. "…I guess I'll go with Misty. Battling's not exactly my thing, so…"

Ash nodded. He knew that everyone had their own likes and dislikes, but he had to head to the stadium quickly. He had to dominate it as fast as he could.

* * *

Several minutes later he found himself at the stadium that had been constructed in the lower levels. The field was slightly larger than the fields he had seen in the Gyms. He and Leaf walked up to the stands to watch an ongoing battle between and elderly man and a young boy.

Ash chuckled in amusement as the man's Growlithe gave a final blow to the boy's Machop, who shrieked in pain before going unconscious. The boy recalled his Machop and growled at the man as he gave him the reward money and then walked away.

Ash grinned at Leaf. "I'm going to put an end to this guy's winning streak. Just wait and watch," he boasted as he walked to the field while Leaf just rolled her eyes in amusement.

"I challenge you to a battle!" Ash declared dramatically as he walked up the steps and faced the man with a stern look. The old man laughed for a few seconds while his Growlithe sneered at the boy.

"Alright boy," the man replied. "Just don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're a boy."

"And don't expect me to go easy on you just because you're an old geezer," Ash muttered to himself. Thankfully the gentleman didn't hear him, or he would get a whooping.

Ash unclipped a pokeball and hurled it in the air, shouting: "Go, Butterfree!" Ash figured that this would be a good time to use the bug type since he hadn't got the chance to do so in a very long time. The Butterfree burst out of the pokeball and let out a shrill cry of his name once he came out.

The gentleman smirked. "Are you sure that the best choice is to use that frail bug of yours?" he mocked.

Ash clenched his teeth. He was going to use his Froakie, but he was sure that Butterfree could handle a Growlithe. "I'm pretty sure, yeah!" he retorted. "Type advantage isn't everything, you know!"

The gentleman shrugged. "It's your funeral. More like, your bug's funeral! Growlithe, use Flamethrower!"

"Dodge it, Butterfree!" Ash called out.

Growlithe opened her mouth and spewed a large stream of flames at Butterfree. Butterfree's compound eyes widened in surprise at the size of the flames, and she took a second to register the command given by his trainer. Fortunately, however, he was lucky enough for only his left foot to be singed.

"That was close, Butterfree!" Ash exclaimed.

"Growlithe, Fire Fang!" the gentleman shouted.

"Dodge it quick, Butterfree!"

Growlithe bared her fangs before they started to glow hot red and turned fiery. She then used her legs, to leap off the ground as high as she could to bite Butterfree with her sharp fangs, but he was quicker. Butterfree flew higher in the air and above Growlithe, making her miss the target and land on the ground, but she once again jumped at the bug and Butterfree once again dodged that one. This went on for a few more times before Ash decided to act.

"Now, Butterfree, use Stun Spore," Ash said tersely.

Once Growlithe was in the air, she became an easy target. Butterfree smirked before he started to release orange spores from her wings that settled between Growlithe's furs before she crashed on the ground, paralyzed. She attempted to move, but in vain, and Butterfree took this chance to attack the pup with powerful flaps of her wings.

"Shake it off, Growlithe!" the man called out anxiously.

"Don't give her a chance to do anything! Stun her with Confusion!" Ash yelled.

Butterfree nodded, his red eyes now glowing blue. He then emitted a weak and odd psychic wave at Growlithe that slammed into her and sent her rolling on the ground. Growlithe whimpered in pain before struggling to get back up on her four, strong legs.

"Now use Supersonic!"

Rings of energy started to travel to Growlithe, who was now standing completely upright but at the wrong time. Ash smiled once the rings slammed on Growlithe's forehead, confusing her and sending her into a dazed state.

"No!" the gentleman cried out.

Ash grinned. "You're doing great, Butterfree!" he told his pokémon. "But the battle's not over yet. Tackle!"

Butterfree tucked in his wings for the finishing move and then soared towards Growlithe with great speed, slamming into the pup. Growlithe rolled on the ground before stopping and lying on her back. She was unconscious.

The gentleman recalled his pokémon and sighed in defeat. "You were great, Butterfree!" Ash praised as he gave the butterfly a warm hug.

"Young man, your Butterfree is a swell battler. I'm impressed," the man said with a smile and a handshake.

"Thank you, mister," Ash replied. "Butterfree was the first pokémon I caught. I've raised him since he was a little Caterpie, and we've been through a lot together," he added with a smile.

"Well, that shows." The gentleman nodded, but he then gave Ash a questioning look. "But have you ever thought of Butterfree's future?"

Ash nodded. "Sure! He's going to be the strongest Butterfree in the world!"

"Are you sure that he doesn't want to start a family? I mean, the Butterfree mating season is around this time of the year, and all the Butterfree come around the outskirts of Vermillion City to find their true love."

"Their true love…?" Ash blinked in surprise. He'd never thought of Butterfree as the one who would start a family.

"IN any case I'm sure that from how close you two are, you'll eventually find Butterfree's real purpose in life, whether it be battling or creating a family of his own. Good day."

As the man bid farewell, Ash looked intently at Butterfree. What did he want to really do – stay with Ash or with a Butterfree? The boy decided to dwell on this later. He gave the bug a macron that Brock had made before recalling him back into his pokeball.

* * *

The next several battles certainly went in Ash's favor. He mostly faced rich children who liked to brag their rare pokémon, but Ash put them in their places. He had decided to use all of his pokémon for the next battles, and they were certainly growing stronger.

However, Ash was sure that the next trainer would put an end to Ash's winning streak. He was facing a boy named AJ – a funny name, he mused – but he didn't want to offend the boy by asking him what the name meant. AJ looked a year or two older than Ash, with spikey, dark green hair and a cocky grin on his face.

"Hey, squirt." Ash's face turned red at the nickname. "Do you want to forfeit before I embarrass you?"

Ash clenched his teeth and balled his fist. He didn't like people making fun of him, no matter how strong they or their pokémon were. "Bring it!"

"Sandshrew, I choose you," AJ said lazily and a Sandshrew burst out of the pokeball, wearing a Macho Brace. Ash was actually going to speak out at the torture methods, as he called it, AJ was using on his Sandshrew, but he had to focus on his battle. Ash retaliated by sending out his Froakie.

AJ looked surprised at the rare pokémon in front of him, a pokémon he didn't know, but he quickly regained his composure. "You can take the first move," AJ offered.

"Froakie, use Quick Attack!" Ash hollered.

"Sandshrew, Defense Curl."

Ash grimaced as he saw Froakie slam into Sandshrew's tough hide, and the bubble frog pokémon looked dazed from the attack. AJ took this chance to command Sandshrew to use Rollout, which sent Froakie flying back towards Ash.

"Froakie, are you alright?" Ash questioned. Froakie replied with a nod, although he was hurt by the attacks. "Okay, then – use Water Pulse!"

"Sandshrew, use Rollout and go through it," AJ said calmly and with a smirk. Ash's eyes widened as Sandshrew tore through the pulsing blast of water Froakie had released, and the mouse pokémon seemed unaffected by the water. Sandshrew went on to slam Froakie repeatedly while he was curled up like a ball.

"Wrap this up with a Fissure!"

"Froakie, dodge it!" Ash called out, but in vain. Froakie was struggling to keep standing and he was clearly hurt from the previous barrel of attack.

Sandshrew leapt up in the air, then dived to the ground and created a fissure once he landed. A beam of white energy shot towards Froakie with incredible speed from within the crack and struck the water type. Ash sighed and recalled once Froakie landed on the ground, exceedingly hurt from the OHKO attack.

"That was cheating!" Ash yelled out as he walked to AJ with a glare. "You secured your win by an OHKO move."

AJ rolled his eyes. "Really?" he asked. "Stop being a sore loser and get lost. Your fro-whatever wasn't going to last longer anyway, so beat it," he said with a growl.

Ash pouted as he walked away from the stadium, allowing the next trainer to step up and be easily beaten by AJ's Sandshrew. He walked up to the seats and sat grumpily next to Leaf, who did her best to comfort him.

Ash watched AJ easily win multiple battles with his Sandshrew before he was beaten by a clearly experienced trainer who wielded a Poliwrath. Seeing that there was no chance that anyone would defeat the trainer, Ash and Leaf decided to walk away from the place and meet up with Misty and Brock.

Ash paused as he felt a small rumble, but he quickly shook it off. It was probably some Gyarados who banged against the ship.

* * *

"This is beautiful," Misty muttered in awe as she set her eyesight on the coral reef.

"Hmm…You're beautiful too," Brock muttered, but it was too late before he realized what he said.

"What?!" the redhead exclaimed. She never thought that Brock would hit on her.

"Err, what? What?" He looked around uneasily. "I, uh…I said that you're a scrawny redhead," he lied, but that didn't make it any better. Misty growled before she slapped his hard across his face.

Brock's eyes rattled in his skull and his face felt like it was on fire. For a twelve year old like her, she certainly was strong. "Ow, I was kidding!"

"I, uh, I'm sorry," she apologized. "I shouldn't have gotten that angry."

Brock and Misty continued to stare at the ocean floor through the thick glass while several workers assembled in the room. A woman with long, bright red hair that curled at the ends lowered her hat while a man with violet hair appeared right next to her. Below them was a Meowth, who certainly didn't fit in the picture, but no one cared.

The woman removed a device from her pocket that suddenly started to blink and vibrate. The other workers in the room too received the beeps on similar devices, and they all looked at each other.

"It's time, James," the lady muttered with an evil smirk.

The trio then threw off their uniforms to reveal their custom-made uniforms and jumped in the middle of the main room while the rest of the disguised workers pulled out guns from their other pockets. One even went so far to pull out a tommy gun and hover it in the air while he shot some bullets on the ceiling.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!" the woman called out.

"…and James!" the violet haired man introduced.

"Team Rocket – blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth – that's right!"

A grunt rolled her eyes. "We get it, okay?" she said. "We get it that you're a selected triad of Team Rocket. No need for your stupid motto."

Misty and Brock gasped. "It…It's Team Rocket!" muttered Brock.

"I remember you three!" Misty glared at them. "You're Jessie, James and Meowth the talking pokémon!"

"You're right," the three replied collectively. "And now, hand over your pokémon or you'll get it!" At that, each Rocket cocked their guns, as if in confirmation. A few people in the room started to cry while Brock and Misty simply huddled in a corner.

The Rocket grunts then started to go to each person one-by-one to take their pokémon. If they tried to resist, they would simply give a warning shot to scare them. Several minutes later, two Rockets came to Misty and Brock to forcefully take their pokémon.

"I'm never going to give my buddies to you," Misty spat at them.

"Listen, Twerp. If you do everything as we say, we aren't going to hurt you. So, _please_ hand over your pokémon," Jessie said with a smirk.

Misty and Brock said nothing while they handed over their pokéballs. Team Rocket was right – they were dead if they tried to resist. No one could stop them right now as they carried out their heist.

Once the grunts were out of earshot, Brock turned to Misty. "Listen to me carefully," Brock told her. "I've got Graveler's pokeball with me. If I can send him out while they aren't looking, we can take them by surprise and get out of this place."

Misty nodded. "That is a good plan. Looks like you've made yourself useful for one," she said jokingly.

"And listen," James bellowed. "We have rigged a bomb to the engine room. If anyone tries to do any funny business, we will blow this place to kingdom come with you people on it!"

Brock gulped. It looked like his plan would have to wait. In the meantime, he could only hope that Ash and Leaf wouldn't fall into this trap.

* * *

"Mmmhmm, this shawarma is really good…" Leaf closed her eyes and moaned as she took another bite of the delicacy.

Ash nodded. "I hate to say it, but this food is better than anything that Brock or my mom makes," he added.

His pokémon moaned in delight too. While Froakie, Pikachu, Bunsen, Bacchus and Amethyst munched their way through plates of food, Pidgeotto and Butterfree were roaming in the air.

Ash smiled at his pokémon. They were clearly having fun aboard this ship. But his thoughts were pushed away when he felt a few more rumbles from the ship. This was unusual. A pokémon couldn't bang against the ship's hull every time.

"Did you feel that?" Ash asked Leaf, who broke out from her trance and looked at him with scrunched eyebrows.

"Feel what?" she asked him confusedly.

"I don't know, but I'm feeling these weird rumbles from the ship…" He sighed as he felt another one. "Something's going on. That's for sure."

"Wai—what?" she questioned, but Ash was already starting to walk away after he recalled all of his pokémon. Leaf abruptly got up from her seat and started to follow him to the lower levels, and Ash could feel the rumbling get even more intense.

"Ash, what're you—?"

"Shush," he hushed as he held her hand and pulled her down the stairs. She would've certainly taken this as a romantic move, but there was tension in the air. Ash and Leaf continued to walk down the spiraling staircase until the found themselves on the lowest level of the ship.

Leaf gasped and put her hand on her mouth, while Ash gaped at the scene. "Oh my…god…!"

Ash felt his stomach tighten once he found the floor utterly covered with fog, making it difficult for him to see more than five feet away from his position. Ash coughed as he breathed in the thick smoke that drifted through the air, and he quickly covered his mouth by putting his tee over it. He slowly walked further along the corridor, Leaf not far behind him, and he noticed several bodies lying spread-eagled on the ground. He knelt down and felt an unconscious woman's pale, exposed neck. It was oddly cold and she looked at him with no emotion. Then he realized it.

The woman was dead. Ash forced himself to not gag as he stared at her glassy eyes. He stumbled over, but Leaf caught him just in time to prevent him from falling. Ash regained his composure, but he couldn't shake off the fact that he had just seen a dead person. The one who did this would _pay._

Ash walked forward, encountering more corpses on the way – he was on the verge of puking – and he tried his best to not look at them. The more he walked, the more amount of blood was splattered along the long, deluxe carpet.

"This is…I can't even…" Leaf screwed her eyes shut as she blindly continued to follow Ash.

Ash didn't have any words. He was just shocked by what he had seen over the couple of minutes.

"My dear Rockets," a smooth voice curtly said over the intercom, "This is Executive Proton. I suggest you hurry up. This ship will blow up in fifteen minutes. Kill all those who are resisting and get out quickly. Good day."

Ash blinked in surprise and shock. "This ship…It's going to blow up…?" He turned to Leaf, who looked back in equal horror and shock. "We…We need to hurry up and warn everyone! We need to save as many lives as we can, Leaf!"

As they made their way up, he tried his best to not look at the corpses that he had seen before. It took six long minutes that seemed like ages to run up the spiraled staircase, but once they did reach to the top they found no one. Ash looked around in frustration and stomped his foot several times before Leaf decided to speak up.

"Why don't we check the banquet hall? Since it's—" she checked her wristwatch, "—8:50, I guess everyone's headed there for dinner."

Ash nodded. "I just hope that Team Rocket hasn't made their way to that place, too," he said solemnly as he set a timer on his wristwatch.

* * *

"Brock, when are you going to carry out that awesome plan of your?" Misty asked with a roll of her eyes.

"Misty, I can't do it when I have guns pointed at me," Brock replied in a snarky tone.

Th two sighed. Even though Team Rocket was a criminal organization, they couldn't help but admire their way of working. Their presumed leaders – Jessie, James and Meowth – didn't look so commanding, however. They looked more like fools.

In the meantime, Brock and Misty had begun to converse with the other hostages to pass the time. One trainer – a young boy named Harry – was visiting his grandparents in Cinnabar as a yearly visit. But with Team Rocket here, this would probably be his last trip.

"Do you think we should put up some resistance?" Harry asked.

Brock shrugged. "I don't know. I have my Graveler with me, but with the bomb threat I don't think I can put that plan into action," Brock whispered back.

"Look, everyone. We just have fifteen minutes left before we're blown sky high," a grunt told the hostages. "So, hand over your v—"

"So you were planning to kill us anyway?!" A man in his thirties got up, looking angry. "Then let's die trying! They can't do any more harm!"

"Wait, w—" James was cut off as the same man tackled him to the ground and started to beat him to a pulp. A few seconds later, a gunshot echoed through the room and Misty shrieked as drops of blood were smeared on her face.

"This is what happens if you try to resist," the grunt who fired his gun said while James rolled off the dead body onto the ground. "No, does anyone else want an early death?"

Brock gritted his teeth. He couldn't let these people get away with more murders. Without thinking, he hurled the pokeball with all his strength. The pokeball struck Jessie between her eyes and stunned all the grunts for a second, allowing the large Graveler to take most of the space in the middle of the room. The pokémon grunted before glaring at all the Rockets with his small, black pupils.

"What the—" Jessie shook her head. "Grunts, fire!"

The Rockets nodded and started to empty all of their weapons on the Graveler in front of them. The funny part was that a Graveler's body was made out of solid rock, one that could resist almost all metals from tearing its body. The huge, organic rock stared mockingly at the grunts as the bullets bounced harmlessly off his body and fell to the ground.

"Looks like your guns are empty, fellas," Misty said as she and the rest of the members in the room stood up with angry glares on their faces.

"How could things go south so quickly?!" cried Jessie as she slapped her forehead in frustration.

"My plan is that we should get out as soon as possible," James whispered to his partner.

"True dat," Meowth added.

Mass chaos suddenly broke out in the room. The party guests immediately began to tackle any Team Rocket members they could so that they could retrieve their pokéballs back. The Rockets were trying to fight back, but they were clearly outnumbered, making it impossible to break free.

In the scuffle, Jessie and James and Meowth managed to escape through the main door and locked it from the outside. No one took notice of this, however, since they were busy trying to take their own pokémon.

Brock recalled his Graveler once he finished bulldozing a dozen grunts like bowling pins. "You messed with the wrong Gym Leader," he said through a smirk.

* * *

Ash and Leaf burst into the banquet hall, startling everyone present in the enormous room. Ash squirmed in his spot to find a suitable excuse for such a dramatic entrance, but Leaf beat him to it.

"Listen, everyone!" Leaf exclaimed in her loudest possible voice. "Team Rocket has taken over this ship!"

The room became silent, but a few minutes later a sailor broke the silence. "Listen, kids. If this is some practical joke you're playing, it isn't funny. So beat it."

Ash clenched his teeth. Why didn't these people believe him? "We're not joking! We heard some executive named Proton telling this over an intercom! This is not a joke!"

"They're telling the truth!" Everyone turned their attention towards a group of people hurriedly bursting through the main door of the hall. Among the people, Ash noticed Brock and Misty somewhere in the middle of the crowd. Ash grinned and made his way to the older boy, who hugged Ash upon seeing him.

"I thought that you were goners," Ash mumbled.

Brock smiled and shook his head. "We're Gym Leaders, Ash, even though you did beat us easily…"

"Alright, put your hands up!" A dozen disguised Rockets took off their clothes, revealing their black uniforms and crimson Rs on their chest. People began to shriek and scream as they got up from their seats and huddled near the stray group of people, making it an immensely large group. Even though the grunts didn't have many guns, they still struck fear in peoples' hearts.

"Now," an oddly familiar voice said, "hand over your valuables if you don't want yourselves killed. Please make your way to the deck – it'll be easier for us to get away, then."

The dozen grunts cleared their way to reveal the anonymous person – someone they hadn't expected to be involved with a criminal organization like Team Rocket.

"Damien?!" the group of four exclaimed, completely dumbfounded.

Damien smirked. "Well, look who it is."

"What're you…Did you join _Team Rocket_?" Ash asked.

"Of course," he replied. "After you punks humiliated me, I met these two bastards called Jessie and James, who took me in. I'm quite the Rocket, you see. In just a week I'm the leader of a squadron!"

"You're evil…"

Damien jabbed the gun against Ash's chest. "Now, if you all will make your way to the deck, you will not be hurt."

Ash gritted his teeth and glared hatefully at Damien, but he did as he was told. He knew they didn't have a chance, whatever the odds were. The rest of the people easily made their way to the deck, while Ash slowly tailed behind them.

Once they were in the corridor, Damien began to speak once again. "Now, Ash – hand over your pokémon, starting with that lizard of yours." Ash whipped around and glared at Damien, his eyes burning as he took in the sadistic smirk of his. Damien simply cocked his gun and pressed it against Ash's forehead.

"I hate you," Ash hissed.

"You can say what you want, but that won't change the fact that you only have four minutes before this ship explodes. You do want your pokémon to go unscathed, don't you?"

Meanwhile the other grunts made their way to the deck and started to collect each member's pokéballs and valuables. Damien, Ash and Leaf were the only ones remaining in the long corridor, and the two males were having a glaring contest with one another.

"This is payback time. You will hand over your pokémon, starting with Charmander—"

"His name is BUNSEN!" Ash roared.

Damien fell to his knees from a swift kick on his groin, and the gun dropped to the floor as he crawled away from the infuriated boy. Ash promised that he was going to treat Bunsen well, and he wasn't going to hand him over to Damien.

Damien managed to let out choked groans and he crawled towards his gun while Ash glared hatefully at the teenager. He had never met someone as despicable as Damien. His mother had told him that there was always some good in a person, but Damien had proved him wrong.

Ash turned back just in time to see chaos breaking out between the passengers and the Rockets. A few people where jumping off the deck to save themselves, while a few trainers – Ash managed to identify Brock and Misty amongst them – where battling the Rockets.

"Ash, we've got just one minute before this ship explodes," Leaf whispered in the boy's ear. "We'll fend off Damien and—"

The rest of it was drowned by gunfire.

Ash turned to see Damien lying on his stomach, gun pointed at the two, but before he could see Damien press the trigger the second time Leaf pulled him away. The bullets buried into the walls around them, but Leaf made the mistake to turn around and stare at Damien while she ran.

His entire face was calm.

The muzzle flared as the gun fired, and Leaf stopped in her tracks.

Ash looked over at Leaf, forgetting all the bullets that missed him by a yard and hit the walls. Damien's aim was terrible, but this one hit its mark.

Ash glanced down at Leaf, who was glancing down at her stomach with one hand pressed against it. When she removed it, there was a small hole and the entire bottom of her top, and her hand, was stained red.

Leaf didn't say anything, but she looked at Ash with fearful eyes. She staggered multiple times until she pressed her back against the wall.

Ash looked at her in horror. "Leaf! LEAF!" he yelled. She wasn't responding, and she stared at Ash.

"No…time…" was all that she muttered.

"No, Leaf…Don't die on me!" Tears trickled down his cheeks. Ash cursed his luck and put all his strength to carry her and drag her along with him. He swung her over his shoulder, her weight making him bend, but he wasn't going to give up.

He wasn't going to let his best friend die.

"You lose, Ash!" Ash stopped in his tracks to see Damien rolling on the floor, visibly tired. "I win. You're going to die."

"No…" Ash muttered. A second later he shook his head and took her to the edge of the deck, where he laid her on the ground.

Misty and Brock were still battling the Rocket grunts, but he didn't care. He unclipped a pokeball from his belt and sent out Butterfree, who turned and looked in alarm at Leaf.

Ash looked at her. She was grimacing at the pain, and blood was oozing out from the wound. He turned to Butterfree.

"Butterfree, I need you to use your String Shot to tie around Leaf's waist. Make it as tight as you can," he muttered, and he sounded absolutely calm. He still couldn't get over the fact that Leaf was shot.

A few seconds later the wound was cover up. Blood was still leaking, but in minimal amounts. Ash sighed in relief, but he knew she couldn't swim.

"Good." Ash unclipped a second pokeball while Butterfree hovered in the air. Froakie burst out of this one and looked at Ash.

"Froakie, I need you to take care of Leaf in the water. She's been…She's been shot…" He trailed off. Froakie nodded while Ash conveyed his second command to Butterfree. "Butterfree, tie a second string to Leaf so that I can lower her to the water. Quickly, please."

Butterfree did as he was told, and a few seconds later Leaf was lowered into the ocean. She was doing her best to move, but Froakie dived right next to her and started to drag her to the shore.

Ash stood at the edge of the deck, the rims protecting him from falling. The Rocket grunts were fallen on the floor, and no one was to be seen. Only he was left on this part of the ship.

"This is the end, Ash!" He turned around to see Damien standing upright, limping on his leg as he walked slowly towards Ash. Ash spat on the ground, glaring angrily at the teenager that had fatally hurt his friend. "I'll easily be able to escape, but you won't!" Ash could feel the rumbling get even louder and more frequent. "Your dream of being a pokémon trainer ends here, you fucking asshole! Fuck you, fuck your friends and fuck your mom!"

Then it happened. Damien's eyes widened in shock as Ash and he saw the other end of the ship explode, pieces of wood and debris flying in the air. Fear grew in his heart as he saw the explosion heading towards him, and Damien was limping even faster to escape the blast radius. What he didn't know was that the bomb was powerful enough to take out the entire ship.

Ash jumped off the railing on the deck, but he took one last glimpse of Damien – the fire seared his back and engulfed him until the force of the explosion finally sent him flying into the sea. Ash could feel himself being involuntarily thrown off the destroyed ship, and he fell face-first into the ocean. His face stung, and the back of his clothes was burnt. Ash turned as he saw pieces of the ship being hurled off into the ocean.

His eyes snapped open as he felt a searing pain across his shoulder. He turned to his left to see a piece of shrapnel embedded in his shoulder, blood slowly oozing out from the wound. He felt woozy looking at his own blood, but then another wave crashed into him, sending him deeper into the ocean.

Ash felt a mad desire for air as he tried to make his way to the surface, but the shrapnel in his shoulder prevented him from moving his left hand. The salt water only made it worse.

Ash vision dimmed and he lost all consciousness, but not long before he felt an odd psychic wave surrounding him and doing its best to lift him up. Ash barely registered the silhouette of a winged creature before he blacked out.

* * *

 **Well, things escalated quickly. Sorry for leaving it at a cliffhanger, but I thought it was appropriate for this one. _And,_ Damien returns! How cool is that? Is he dead from the explosion? As much as I hate that guy, I'd love to torture him some more. Or I'll probably turn him into a major villain. Hmm...**

 **The next chapter isn't going to come out very soon, since I'm working on yet another project that really intrigued me. If I do finish it, however, I'll be able to update as quick as I can. Till then, see ya!**

 **Chapter 17 - ?**

 **Okay, I'm having trouble here. Should I, or should I not release Butterfree? Since Leaf has the pink Butterfree with her, I think a better idea would be to keep the two rather than release them, but what do you guys suggest? Let me know alongside a review or in a PM.**


	17. Ash versus Paul!

**Hello everyone! Yes, your eyes don't deceive you - it's a double update! I finished both, this and the next, in a couple of days, and so here it is! R &R!**

 **And, I have decided that...Butterfree will NOT be released! Yay! Free food for everyone (JK)!**

* * *

Ash shook groggily as the bright light poured into his eyes. He shot up in an instant, his vision disoriented as he thrashed and squirmed on the bed, doing his best to set himself free, but doing so only sapped the energy out of him. He barely registered his surroundings – a small, white room, an IV standing next to him; general hospital stuff.

A few minutes later he found the blurriness clearing, and he could finally see clearly. It was oddly bright in the room, but he didn't spend much time thinking about that. All he could think about was how he had gotten here.

 _I got hit on between my shoulder and my neck, and then…I drowned…So how did I get here?_ Ash shook his head. _Some bird…Some bug, maybe?_

He snapped out of his thoughts as the door swung open and a Nurse Joy walked in. She gave him a sympathetic look before she turned her attention to the machines – Ash had no clue what they were on about – before she finally turned her attention on him. "Good morning, Mr. Ketchum," she greeted with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Ash replied, and he felt his throat burn as he spoke. A pregnant pause occurred before Ash suddenly realized what he'd just faced. "What happened? How long was I out? How are my pokémon? Did the ship—"

"One at a time, Mr. Ketchum," the nurse calmed with a smile. "For your first question, I'd have to say that the ship…was blown apart with an explosive." Ash sighed. It wasn't a dream. "And as for your second one, you were out for more than three days."

"Three days?" he repeated incredulously.

Nurse Joy nodded. "We found you bleeding profusely from a wound that had occurred from a piece of shrapnel embedded near the base of your neck," she explained, trying her best to not make it sound any worse. "The piece missed your jugular vein by less than a centimeter; you were very lucky. We managed to remove the metal before the poisonous lead could spread out in your bloodstream. However, you will have to wait here for at least a week before you can go. You have lost too much blood."

Ash nodded, and even that action tired him. He was going to speak up for the second time, but Nurse Joy had anticipated his question and decided to speak up.

"Your pokémon are fine, Mr. Ketchum," she replied. "You Butterfree managed to use Psychic – a rather hard task for a bug like that – and he carried you all the way to ground. By the time we found you two, you both were exhausted. The rest are fine, but when I tried to release them they were too wild for me or the others to handle. You will be allowed to see them after a day or two."

Ash nodded. A minute passed before he registered what Nurse Joy had said – Butterfree had managed to unlock his psychosomatic potential to use Psychic.

He grinned.

"Mr. Ketchum, I do have one favor to ask of you," she finally said. "Since you are the only awake survivor, Officer Jenny would like to question you as to what exactly happened on board. I can understand that you are tired, and we can—"

"No." Ash spoke firmly, anger ablaze in his eyes. "I need this to be out as quick as it can."

Nurse Joy nodded and turned around to leave, not before she gave the boy a reassuring smile. "It's going to be alright, Ash."

A few minutes later came in an Officer Jenny. She had a warm smile on her face as she walked up to Ash, and she greeted him cheerfully before she sat down next to him with a pad in her hand.

"Good morning, Mr. Ketchum." She shook his hand. "That was quite a day you had, I hope."

Ash didn't know what else to do, so he nodded.

"I just need to ask you a few questions; it won't take much of your time." Ash nodded in agreement once again. "Do you know…who commandeered the destruction of the S.S. Anne?"

"It was Team Rocket," Ash spat hatefully. "Around eight at night, some executive called Proton called over the intercom and declared that the ship would explode in fifteen minutes. My friend and I made our way to the top to warn everyone, but there was another ambush there. After that, hell broke loose, and sometime later the ship exploded. Boom," he added at the end.

"Information on your pokedex told us that you were travelling with a Leaf Rose, Misty Waterflower and Brock Harrison. Am I correct?" Ash nodded, and a second later so did she. "I'm afraid that's all we have for today. Thank you for your cooperation." The officer got up from her chair and made her way out of the room, leaving Ash all by himself.

He shrugged. In any case, all this talk was making him weak. He felt sleepy, and so he closed his eyes and turned not before he quickly fell into deep slumber.

* * *

Recovery was slow.

There was hardly anything to do. Misty and Brock, who were unscathed from the dangerous encounter, visited Ash from time to time, but it wasn't like they could stay forever. Brock brought him books, classics from all over the world, but he couldn't get into it. He never liked reading much. After reading a few pages from _Old Yeller_ , he dumped the rest of the books in a corner.

He still couldn't get visits from his pokémon since they had to properly clean them, vaccinate them and do all sorts of things to prevent them to pass on diseases or anything that could be harmful to the people in the hospital.

He spent most of his time talking to Misty and Brock, who were both by his side. Brock was there most of the time, but Misty was there throughout the time she was allowed to meet him. She might as well have been his personal nurse, although she left things like the bedpan and other stuff for the actual nurse to do.

It was humiliating.

Ash sighed. He'd lost so much blood that he spent most of his time eating, drinking and sleeping, with the rest of the time being reserved to talking with whoever was by his side at the time, whether it be Brock, Misty, or both of them together.

"How are you feeling today?" Misty asked.

It was the third day after he had really woken up from his unconscious state. Ash was starting to feel better, but it was still hard for him to move for long. He would probably be released in a few days, like Nurse Joy had said.

"Fine," Ash told her.

"It's good that you're feeling better," Brock said. "I still can't believe that you did that."

Ash sighed. That was half of what he heard when he used to meet Misty or Brock.

"Why don't you watch some TV?" he said, handing him the remote. "We'll be back; we're just going to visit Leaf for some time," he said.

Ash nodded. Then it hit him. "Leaf?!" he exclaimed. "H-H-How's she? Is she fine? Is she fatally wounded? What's going to—?"

Misty laughed, interrupting his volley of questions. "Slow down, Ash," she said. "Leaf's fine. If you hadn't put pressure on her wound with those strings, she would've…been a goner."

"Ash, we'll come back in some time, okay?" Brock said as he and Misty walked out of the room.

Ash sighed. He was feeling tired. Maybe another nap wouldn't hurt.

* * *

The next time Ash woke up, he felt Pidgeotto nipping softly at his ear.

Wait. Pidgeotto was in the room.

Ash grinned as he turned around to see all of his pokémon gathered around him, while Pikachu rested on his lap. He looked at them, trying to match their expressions of glee with his own.

"I'm so glad you guys are safe," he said after hugging each one of them. "Where's Butterfree?"

In a second, he heard the shrill cry of the bug as he came flying over to his trainer. Ash pulled him into a hug and only let him go after he was satisfied.

"Thanks a lot for saving me, Butterfree," he acknowledged, and Butterfree simply nodded with a smile. "And I'm so happy for you! You learned Psychic! You're soon going to be the strongest Butterfree in the world." He chuckled while Butterfree blushed.

Ash smiled. His pokémon were certainly becoming stronger. Butterfree learning Psychic so early was a sign of that, even though a pokémon of his species could certainly not learn a psychic attack that powerful. Ash was happy to have such wonderful pokémon by his side.

But he remembered something, a small memory nagging him at the back of his head. _What does Butterfree want to do with his life?_ He frowned. He certainly didn't want Butterfree to leave him, but he didn't want his pokémon to not live his life to the full extent. What if Butterfree didn't want to be a battler? What if he wanted to have a family of his own? Ash shook his head. Even thinking about that scared him.

He pushed those thoughts at the back of his mind. Right now, he only wanted to enjoy his time with his pokémon right now. He returned to speak with them, lather them with affection and do all he could with the time he got with them.

* * *

Around three weeks later, the entire group was ready to leave.

Sure, Ash had been discharged in one week, but Leaf was still recovering. It had been another two weeks before she could properly walk, but even then she couldn't do tiring activities.

Leaf was lucky. From what they told Ash, the bullet was three inches away from her intestinal track, which would've caused a whole lot of other problems. It missed her pancreas and her gall bladder, too. The doctors had been telling her that she was extremely lucky with how she got shot, and the fact that Ash was there to stop most of the bleeding.

Ash's and Leaf's mothers called them the second after they were discharge. Ash felt embarrassed as he saw he mother weeping continuously for around thirty minutes, while Leaf's mother was grateful to Ash for saving her life.

"Where are we headed to next? Saffron or Celadon City?" asked Ash. "Both ways, both places have Gyms there, and they're connected to each other."

"If you're eager to head have a gym battle, I'd prefer going to Celadon, since Erika is not that strong," Brock replied. "Sabrina on the other hand, is incredibly powerful. She and her Alakazam scare the daylights out of most trainers."

Ash paled. "Err, I think that we should probably head to Celadon City then, heheheh," he said as he chuckled nervously.

Ash groaned. He wanted to make up for the three weeks in the hospital as quickly as he could. He was sure that Gary had already beaten Erika by now, and he would be making his way to Fuchsia. Even Gary wasn't that arrogant to challenge Sabrina right away – most trainers avoided her like the plague.

Ash flipped open his pokedex, taking note of his current team – Bacchus, Bunsen, Amethyst, Pikachu, Pidgeotto and Froakie. Before leaving Vermillion City, he had quickly switched out Butterfree for Bacchus. Ash had quickly realized that Butterfree was far stronger than the rest of his pokémon, so he figured that training the butterfly could wait.

"I've heard Celadon City has a departmental store," Leaf voiced with a smile. "It would be good if we went shopping, right, Misty?"

Misty grinned. "Yeah, sure! Ash, you wouldn't mind carrying our bags, would you?"

Ash paled. If there was one thing he hated more than Team Rocket, it was shopping. He had gone with his mother countless times to Viridian's mall, and he just sat somewhere with his aching legs while his mother ran across countless dresses. Shopping with Leaf was even worse.

Before Ash could say anything, Leaf voiced for him. Ash sighed. There was nothing he could do now, except for get a thrashing from Misty if he refused.

Out of nowhere, he heard sounds of a battle. Cries erupted from his left, along with harsh shouts of commands. Growing curious, Ash crept further into a secluded spot until he finally saw a rather familiar face – a purple-haired boy commanding a Machop to attack a pokémon that resembled a bear cub.

Ash's pokedex identified it as 'Teddiursa', although the one in the battle looked far more ferocious than the misleading, innocent picture portrayed in the pokedex. Ash looked intently as the Machop delivered a swift chop on the wild Teddiursa's scalp, and it was all over.

The trainer – Ash remembered him as Paul – lazily threw a pokeball at the unconscious Teddiursa. The sphere connected and easily captured the pokémon within.

"I've never seen a Teddiursa before," Ash mumbled as he and the rest of his friends finished watching the battle.

"Maybe it's one of the pokémon from Johto," Leaf responded. "I remember Professor Oak telling us once in Pokémon School that recently pokémon from different regions have migrated here." Ash nodded, and he then turned to watch the scene as his curiosity got the better of him.

Ash exuded cold waves of anger as it became clear that Paul was releasing two injured Teddiursa that he had presumably just caught without treating their wounds. Before Ash could intervene, they let out cries of pain and humiliation and ran off into the wilderness, out of their lives.

"What the hell was that!?" Ash furiously shouted at the trainer as he ran up to him, who merely sneered in disdain. "You could've at least treated their wounds!"

"Oh, it's you." Paul retorted in a voice far eclipsing his age. "They were weak, knew no moves except for Scratch, and had no good stats. They weren't cut out for me."

Ash trembled with rage. "So you could've taught them more moves! You could've trained them to make them stronger! You don't just release pokémon and make them feel like pathetic losers because you were too lazy to train them!"

"He's right!" Leaf cut in, narrowing her eyes in distaste. "What kind of guy are you, beating up pokémon and just releasing them?"

Paul snorted. "If you disagree with my training methods, then how about we have a battle?"

Ash glared at him in return. "Okay then. Brock, could you referee this battle?" The breeder nodded and jogged to the side of the clearing, out of harm's way.

"How many pokémon are we using?" Ash yelled from the other side, glaring at Paul's impassiveness.

"Three. I want this to get over as quickly as it can."

"This will be a three-on-three pokémon battle between Ash Ketchum and…"

The cold trainer snorted in contempt. "If you must know, it's Paul Slaid."

"…and Paul Slaid!" the hormonal teen completed. "The battle ends once all three pokémon on one side are unconscious, or if a trainer forfeits. Substitutions are allowed. Begin!"

Ash gritted his teeth. He had to show Paul that his training methods were wrong. He unclipped a pokeball once he saw Paul perform the same move, and the two trainers hurled their pokéballs into the air, sending forth their respective battlers.

"Elekid, I need your assistance!" he ordered stoically, and the tiny plug-like creature burst out and grinned menacingly at Ash.

"Froakie, I choose you!" Ash yelled, and the bubble frog pokémon stood on all fours once he came out.

Ash smirked as he saw Paul's expressionless face turn into annoyance as he scanned Froakie with his own pokedex, obviously gaining no information. Paul pocketed the pokedex and returned to face the battle.

Paul eyed Froakie carefully. "By the looks of it, it seems like a water type…Hmm…Elekid! Charge up!" he ordered. Elekid nodded with a smirk and started to rotate his arms, electricity sparking around him along with a bright yellow glow.

"Now, use Discharge!" Paul ordered.

"Froakie, dodge it with Quick Attack!" Ash hollered.

Froakie went off a second after Elekid unleashed the electricity stored in his body, but Froakie's speed easily enabled him to dodge every single arcing beam of electricity and striking into Elekid a moment later. The electric type looked stunned, and upon Ash's command Froakie soaked him with a Water Pulse.

"Elekid, use Thundershock!"

"Froakie, use Quick Attack! Follow it up with Water Pulse!" Ash countered.

As Froakie slammed into Elekid and blasted him away with an orb of water, Ash noticed that all of the electricity came from Elekid's arms. If Froakie could somehow disable him from unleashing electricity, then Froakie would be safe!

"Froakie, use your Frubbles! Aim it at Elekid's arms!" Ash hollered.

Paul frowned. "Don't let him do that, Elekid. Discharge!"

As Froakie hurled the blob of Frubbles at Elekid, the straying blasts of electricity clashed into them, forming explosions from the collisions. Once the smoke cleared, Ash found the Frubbles melted on the ground, superheated by the electricity.

Then, out of nowhere, several creamy blobs shot at Elekid, who was stunned as they slammed into him at an alarming speed. Ash smiled in happiness as he saw the Frubbles spread across Elekid's fist, sending an irritated look across Paul's face.

Elekid wouldn't be able to use any electric attacks anymore.

That would be until he would find a way to remove the Frubbles, but Ash knew from firsthand experience that they were _very_ sticky.

"Elekid!" his trainer roared. "Thunderbolt!"

Elekid willed all of the stored electricity in his body to collect to his fists, ready to blast Froakie away, but the insulating Frubbles prevented him from using any electric attacks.

Paul gritted his teeth, clearly annoyed, but he didn't let it bother him. "Damn it," he grumbled to himself.

"Froakie, go head on – Elekid can't use electric attacks anymore!" Ash called out with a grin. "Quick Attack!"

"Two can play that game. Elekid, Mega Punch!" Paul commanded.

As Froakie was an inch away from Elekid, the electric type slammed his glowing fist between Froakie's eyes, sending him tumbling back in pain. Paul then went on to order for another Mega Punch, and Elekid gave Froakie a swift jab on his torso. Froakie groaned in pain before rolling away from Elekid.

"Elekid, one more Mega Punch!" Paul yelled.

"Froakie, counter with Water Pulse!" shouted Ash.

A pulsing blast of water easily tore through Elekid's Mega Punch, sending him soaring in the sky before he crashed onto the hard ground. After struggling for a while, he suddenly collapsed on the ground.

Paul tried to remain emotionless, but a glower betrayed him as he recalled Elekid. He paused for a moment before sending out a Magby.

Ash easily recognized the creature from one of Professor Oak's classes back in Pokémon School – the baby pokémon had almost burnt down his classroom once when the professor had brought it, along with a few other baby pokémon, to school. _The pre-evolved form of Magmar,_ he mused.

"Froakie, are you alright?" Ash asked, receiving a determined nod from the blue frog. Froakie had brought down one of Paul's pokémon. It was time to bring down a second one.

"Froakie, let's make this a quick one! Water Pulse!" he commanded.

"Magby, dodge and then use Confuse Ray," he muttered softly, making the last part hard for Ash to understand.

Ash frowned in confusion as he saw Magby's eyes glow a bright red after he easily dodged the large orb of water, and so did Froakie. It was only after a few moments that Ash realized the move, but it was too late – Froakie had stared into Magby's eyes, and was now in a confused state.

"Froakie, snap out of it!" Ash yelled as he gritted his teeth, but Froakie simply narrowed his eyes and tried his best to remain focused.

"Magby, use Fire Punch," Paul said.

"Froakie, dodge it!" Ash pleaded.

Froakie, however, clenched his teeth and balled his fists, doing his best to snap out of his confused state. He could only hear slurry voices and his vision was blurred, making it difficult for him to see anything.

Instead, Froakie took a powerful punch to the face, and his cheek was literally set on fire for a second. Ash watched helplessly as Froakie kept taking continuous jabs to the body, tired and exhausted.

"One more Fire Punch will do it," Paul said. "Use both your hands, Magby. Make it quick."

"No!"

But Ash was silenced as Magby rammed both his fists into Froakie, one on his torso and the other between his eyes. Ash cringed at the thought of the pain Froakie might've received.

"Return, Froakie," Ash said. "Good job, Froakie! You managed to take out Paul's Elekid, even though you were at a disadvantage. You deserve a great rest." Ash turned to his shoulder and looked at Amethyst with a wide grin, the darkness pokémon returning the expression with an equally wide one. "You're up, buddy!" Amethyst nodded and jumped from his shoulder, performing a summersault in the air before landing on her feet.

"Are you done trying to be a Pokémon Coordinator?" Paul sneered uncouthly. "Let's begin!"

"I think Ash is going to win this battle," Leaf said with a smile.

"I don't know. Paul seems to be a good trainer," Misty replied.

"Ash is a good trainer too!"

"I'm not saying that Ash isn't," Misty defended, "but Paul is smart. You saw how he told his Elekid to use Mega Punch when he couldn't use any electric attacks? Ash has to be careful. I don't know what tricks Paul has up his sleeve…"

"Magby, use Flamethrower!" Paul ordered.

"Amethyst, Teleport near Magby and then use Shadow Claw," Ash countered lazily.

Paul's eyes widened in shock. Teleport? As far as he knew, a Sableye couldn't learn Teleport, whether it be naturally or by breeding. In any case, the usage of the move distracted Paul as he saw Amethyst slashing at his Magby with an enlarged claw.

Ash grinned. "That was great, Amethyst! Let's go for another Teleport followed by a Shadow Claw!"

"Seriously?" said Paul in a mocking manner. "You're going for the same attack twice in a row? Magby, Smog!"

As soon as Amethyst teleported an inch away from Magby, he discharged a set of filthy gases that quickly surrounded the two. The poison did not affect Magby, since they were immune to most poisons, but Amethyst took a quick whiff and struck nothing but air.

 _I've got to focus,_ Ash thought. _It was wrong of me to use the same attack twice in a row. That gave Paul a chance to counter it the second time._

"Now use Fire Punch!"

Amethyst groaned as the flaming jab hit her between her gems for eyes before retaliating with an attack of her own. Magby staggered back in pain as two black beams of energy struck him on the torso.

"Amethyst, use Shadow Sneak!"

"Bleye!" she cried out, her shadow stretching out as fast as it could before stopping right under Magby, and energy exploded from the shadow, throwing Magby in the air.

"Magby, use Flamethrower on the ground to soften your fall!" Paul ordered.

Magby nodded in midair as he began to plummet to the ground, and once he was a few meters in the air he spewed a powerful stream of flames that struck the ground and pushed him higher. However, Magby managed to lower the intensity of the Flamethrower and slowly came down to the ground until he landed perfectly on it.

Paul snorted in contempt. "Magby, use Flamethrower."

"Amethyst, use Sucker Punch!" Ash practically roared the command, allowing his Sableye to rush up to Magby in the blink of an eye and ram into his torso with her head, knocking the wind out of him and making him grunt in pain. However, Magby recovered in an instant, even though he was visibly tired, and launched the flames onto Amethyst who took the attack head on.

As the dust cleared, Ash saw that both the pokémon were panting heavily, scabs and bruises no their entire body. Ash and Amethyst both knew that the latter had only a few minutes of strength in her, and so Ash had to make the most out of it.

"Amethyst, Sucker Punch!"

"Magby, use Iron Tail!"

Amethyst ran up to Magby clenching her teeth, while Magby prepared to harden his tail and smack Amethyst with it. Amethyst managed to land the first hit – a swift punch to Magby's lower jaw – but the live coal pokémon managed to land a hit too. He thwacked Amethyst right across the face, sending her hurling back before she crashed on the ground.

Amethyst heaved a heavy sigh, and so did Magby. Their eyes met each other as they did this and both of them knew that whoever managed to land a hit first would triumph.

"Amethyst, I know you can do this!" Ash cheered. "Brick Break!"

Paul pointed his finger towards Ash and yelled, "Wrap this up with Fire Punch!"

Amethyst raised up a fist that was now glowing a bright white, while Magby set his right fist ablaze. The two pokémon yelled out a cry before rushing towards each other with the intent to knock down, and Ash's eyes widened as both of their fists met.

The following explosion was the most magnificent one he had ever seen, second to only the one that led to the destruction of the S.S. Anne. A cloud of dust of was kicked up, but Ash could see Amethyst being thrown back at great speed, clearly unconscious, and she was heading for a tree. Without thinking, Ash threw himself between Amethyst and the tree, caught her, and took the brunt of the crash.

Paul, however, only remained calm as he waited for the dust to clear out, and Magby too was lying unconscious, only several meters away from him. He wordlessly aimed a pokeball at the fire type, pressed a button that struck Magby with a red beam and absorbed him back into the pokeball.

This angered Ash a little bit, since Paul didn't even tell Magby for what a good job he did.

Ash, however, was not going to follow this example and took out Amethyst's blanket from his bag and laid it on the ground before keeping Amethyst on it. "You did a great job, Amethyst." Ash turned and glared at Paul, who, even though seemed emotionless, had a scowl on his face.

"So, are you going to send out that Bulbasaur of yours now?" Ash guessed.

"Bulbasaur…?" Paul repeated confusedly.

"Yeah, that Bulbasaur that you used in Pewter City's Battle Club," Ash explained.

"Oh, that thing. I got rid of him a long time ago," Paul said with a deadpan look.

Ash blinked several times in surprise. "You did _what_?!"

"That Bulbasaur was a lost cause. When he couldn't even win the Cascade Badge for me, I got rid of him when I was travelling from Cerulean to Vermillion City," Paul replied with a glare.

Ash became angry upon hearing that. If he would've just given that poor Bulbasaur a few more chances to prove himself he could've become strong, but Paul simply got him like some old toy!

Then Ash frowned. Did Paul say that he got rid of his Bulbasaur in a route between Cerulean and Vermillion City? Who else had a Bulbasaur that Ash knew of? No one, except for Leaf and him…But Leaf had gotten her Bulbasaur from Professor Oak, whereas Ash…

"Bacchus…?" Ash muttered in disbelief.

Paul frowned. "What're you blabbering about?"

Ash, instead, took out his Bulbasaur's pokeball and sent him out, who appeared on the ground and looked at Ash with a smile, as if expecting one of Brock's poffins. But then Bacchus made the mistake of turning around, and he let out low growls as he glared at Paul.

"Bulba, Bulba Bulbasaur Saur Bulba Bulbasaur!" He growled, slowly releasing the two vines under his bulb. The vines stood erect and pointed at Paul, as if ready to strike him any second.

"What's wrong with your pokémon?" Paul questioned Ash angrily. "Tell him to stand down!"

"Grr…" Bacchus bared his fangs and glared at the cold trainer. It took several minutes before Paul recognized the creature, and a smirk split across his face.

"Oh." He smirk grew wider, but seconds later it disappeared. "It's you."

Ash frowned. "You know Bacchus?"

"Oh yeah, he's the same Bulbasaur I released," Paul replied nonchalantly.

"What?!" Leaf shot up from her spot and looked at the scene with shock, Misty and Brock following her actions. They were thinking along the same lines as Ash while they frowned and glared at Paul at the same time.

"It doesn't matter. You should probably get rid of him too, you know. He's got no IVs at all," Paul told Ash.

"I would never go as low as you!" Ash spat.

"Anyway, could we get on with this battle? I want this to get over as quickly as possible."

Ash scowled. He would show Paul that these weren't the methods to treat pokémon or train them!

Paul unclipped a pokeball and tossed it in the air. "Turtwig, go."

From the resulting blinding flash of light came a pokémon materialized a pokémon Ash had never seen. The pokémon looked like a turtle, and it stood on all fours. Its body was primarily a light-green, while its lower jaw was bright yellow. On top of its head were a projection, and two leaves protruded from either side of it. Its toes were yellow too, and covering its back was a brown shell.

Ash quickly scanned the peculiar pokémon with his pokedex. " **Turtwig, the tiny leaf pokémon, is a grass type pokémon. It undertakes photosynthesis with its body, making oxygen. The leaf on its lead wilts if it's thirsty. This Turtwig is a male.** "

"A Turtwig?" he muttered in awe.

Paul sighed, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "If you may know, it's one of the starter pokémon from Sinnoh. I bought him as a replacement for that Bulbasaur of yours." He frowned. "Can we start the battle now?"

Ash gritted his teeth, but then he turned down at Bacchus. "Hey, Bacchus?" he asked, and the seed pokémon looked at him curiously. "What do you say we beat up Paul and his Turtwig together?"

Bacchus leapt with excitement, a dangerous look of determination spread across his face. If he had to give his life for it, he would show his ex-trainer that he wasn't weak. "Let's begin!"

"Bacchus, use Razor Leaf!" Ash ordered.

"Turtwig, Withdraw." Paul almost sounded as if he didn't care for the battle, as if he was sure that he would win. Turtwig tucked in his body under his shell, and the sharp leaves were blocked by Turtwig's covering. Turtwig then pushed himself out and retaliated with his own Razor Leaf, which successfully managed to slash against the Bulbasaur's body.

Ash balled his fists. "Bacchus, use Double-Edge!"

"Counter with your own Double-Edge, Turtwig."

Ash grimaced as the two creatures slammed into each other head-on, leaving each other in a dazed state. Turtwig, however, quickly shook his head and recovered before tackling Bacchus once again, sending him tumbling away from the fellow grass type.

Once Bacchus got up, Paul revealed his next command. "Bite!"

"Bacchus, dodge that!" Ash called out.

Bacchus, however, was too stunned from the previous attacks to even move, allowing Turtwig to perform his attack. The grass type snapped his strong jaws shut over the Bulbasaur's neck, making him shriek in pain while Turtwig didn't let go.

"Bacchus, use Leech Seed!"

Paul paled. "Turtwig, release him, now!"

But it was too late. Bacchus shot a seed onto Turtwig that hit him right on the neck, and vines sprouted out of the seed and started to entangle around the grass turtle. Turtwig struggled to break free from the vines, but the more he struggled the tighter the vines got. As soon as he relaxed, the vines wrapped around even further, making it very difficult for him to move.

"Now, Bacchus, use your vines to lift him up!" Ash hollered.

Two vines sprouted from under Bacchus' bulb and headed to Turtwig's way. The vines then grabbed him around his shell and lifted him up in the air. Bacchus didn't need Ash to tell him what to do next – he brought down his opponent with all the strength he had, but Turtwig was quicker and tucked in his body to reduce the damage.

"Continue to do that, Bacchus!" Ash told him with a grin. Bacchus nodded and repeatedly slammed Turtwig to the ground while Paul looked at the scene with clenched teeth.

"Turtwig, use Earth Power!" Paul ordered.

Ash blinked. "Earth Power…?"

The next time the Bulbasaur brought Turtwig to the ground, he pushed himself out and slammed his legs onto the ground along with Bacchus' added force. A thin crack sped to Bacchus' way, and a second later the ground beneath him exploded, sending the grass type soaring in the air.

Ash cursed under his breath. If Bacchus would fall from that height, he would surely be knocked out, or worse, have broken a few bones. But if he could use the momentum to his advantage…Hmm…

"Bacchus!" he called out and the Bulbasaur looked down on him from the sky. "I need you to use your vines to wrap them around that tree!"

The vines under Bacchus' bulb shot out like a lightning bolt, and they swiftly wrapped around a tree trunk. Bacchus felt a jerk as he was saved from crash-landing, but instead he started to swing around the tree.

Ash grinned. "Bacchus, I need you to keep swinging! Go as fast as you can!"

The Bulbasaur furrowed his eyebrows at the command but he accepted it. Using his momentum from the fall, he began to swing himself around the tree, faster and faster until he seemed like a blur. Brock, Misty, Leaf and Paul looked confused at what was going on, but only Ash knew what was going on. If it worked, then it would be brilliant!

Once he figured that Bacchus' speed was enough, he decided it was time. Turtwig too was staring curiously at Bacchus, so the tiny leaf pokémon wouldn't know a thing. "Bacchus, let go!" Bacchus let out a battle cry as he withdrew his vines.

Everything happened in a matter of seconds. Bacchus was as fast as a speeding bullet, and all they could see was a green blur that shot towards Turtwig, and as Bacchus crashed into his opponent a cloud of dust was kicked up. The dust cleared away slowly, allowing them to see only the two figures of quadruped pokémon. Ash was sure that Bacchus was knocked out, but he couldn't say the same for Turtwig. The dust finally cleared to reveal both pokémon collapsed on the ground, but Bacchus was still struggling to get up with all the remaining strength in him. His strength failed him, however – despite the strength of his will, he fell down and received the same fate as Turtwig.

"Bacchus and Turtwig are both unable to battle! This match is a draw!" Brock declared.

"Oh, Ash," Leaf muttered sadly. She wanted her crush to win so badly.

Ash cringed before he ran up to Bacchus, and he scooped the unconscious Bulbasaur in his arms. Fear grew in his heart as he saw a blueish-black patch forming on Bacchus' scalp and the middle of his forehead. "Bacchus…I'm sorry…"

Ash felt guilt settling in him. Why did he have to tell Bacchus to do those things, when all he got was a draw and a heavily injured pokémon? _Why did I do it?_ Ash thought in anger. _Did I do it for a stupid match? I…I could've lost Bacchus…_

"Alright, Turtwig," Paul muttered. "Return."

Paul then began to turn and walk away, not before he said out loud: "This match was a tie, and a tie it will be. But my way of training will prevail. Watch out next time."

But Ash didn't care. All he cared about was Bacchus right now.

"Ash, I think your Bulbasaur might've cracked his skull. We better treat him right now," Brock told him.

Ash turned and looked at Leaf. "Leaf, can you give me a revive capsule?"

Leaf nodded and unzipped her bag. Several seconds later she pulled out her hand with a diamond-shaped capsule in the middle of her palm, and Ash hurriedly took it from her. He broke it in half and poured the powder in Bacchus's open mouth, making him chug down the medicine.

A moment later the Bulbasaur's eyes shot wide open, although they soon started to close, as if portraying a sign of exhaustion. "Bulba…Bulba…Saur?" the grass type questioned.

Ash shook his head as he blinked his tears back. "I'm sorry, Bacchus. And I'm sorry for doing this to you."

Bacchus replied with a feeble smile. "Bulb…Ba…"

Guilt engulfed him. Here he was, pushing his pokémon to the very limit, practically telling them to put their life into a fight just to attain one victory. And even then Bacchus was forgiving him. Was he as bad as Paul? Was he pushing his pokémon to the verge of their deaths?

Ash's guilt-trip was interrupted by Leaf. "I can ask Venus here to bring him back to health. She can use Synthesis, but it won't completely heal him. Brock's gone to get some berries and nearby herbs to prepare a medicine for Bacchus." Ash nodded. He could've sworn that Venus, Leaf's Bulbasaur, was scowling at him for a second, but that only made things worse. Ash saw as her two vines wrapping around Bacchus' body, and a warm glow surrounded Venus' vines and the top part of his Bulbasaur's head. The bruise seemed to fade – it was almost completely gone, but he could see faint black spots on the Bulbasaur's head.

Ash sniffled. He just wanted Bulbasaur to be okay.


	18. The Scent-sational Celadon Gym!

Ash was tired and dirty when he arrived at Celadon. After battling Paul and nearly releasing Butterfree, the journey had been harsh and draining. His pokémon had grown stronger than before – since Ash was determined to show Paul the next time he met, he practically trained his pokémon for every passing second – and he was sure that he would easily take down Erika.

He would've gone straight to Saffron City and challenge Sabrina, but he was sure that he would be easily taken down by her. Her Alakazam was extremely strong and could take down even the strongest of dark types in the region. Ash was sure that Amethyst could take her down if she had some more training, but now he had to go to the Pokémon Centre and heal Bacchus.

The dinosaurian plant's condition had not worsened for the next few days, but it hadn't gotten better either. Ash hardly let him come out of his pokeball, except for the times when Venus had to perform synthesis on him.

The walk to the Pokémon Centre was extremely short, since it was placed a few paces away from the dirt path. Ash immediately ran inside to first get Bacchus healed. Nurse Joy had told him that he had a cracked skull, and that he would be fully healed after a week of being in stasis. After that he wouldn't be able to battle for a weak, mainly because his injuries had to completely heal and that if he suddenly gained more injuries his condition would get worse.

At least the rest of his pokémon were fine. Nurse Joy borrowed them for a few minutes before handing them back, almost as good as new. The group headed to their rooms for a quick rest and a shower, and after that they made their way to the cafeteria.

Surprisingly, the cafeteria was empty save for a few people including the staff. Ash didn't care, though – in fact, he was happier. There would be more food for him.

Ash felt a light smack on the back of his head as he entered the cafeteria, and he whipped around in anger at his 'assailant'. Instead, a grin split across Ash's expression as he saw a familiar face in front of him, grinning wildly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey, Ritchie!" Leaf exclaimed enthusiastically. "I didn't expect to see you here!"

Ritchie's grin grew wider as the girl hugged him. "Hey there, Leaf, Ash!" He frowned as he looked at the other two members of their group. "Who's this pretty girl and…Why is _Brock_ travelling with you?!"

Misty blushed at the compliment. "Hi, my name is Misty," she introduced softly.

"Actually, Brock wants to become a pokémon breeder, so he gave up his duties as Gym Leader and started travelling with me," Ash explained. Ritchie nodded in acknowledgement and properly introduced himself to the ex-gym leader, who seemed to recognize him as the trainer who barely managed to defeat him on his first try.

"So, what're you doing here? Weren't you travelling with Gary?" Leaf asked, and both Ritchie and Ash turned sour at the mention of their cocky rival's name.

"You mean Mr. I'm-the-best-pokémon-trainer-in-the-world?" he replied with disdain. "He told me that he didn't want me 'following' him, and that I'm just slowing him down. Then things let to a battle, although I lost horribly to him and his Wartortle, who took down almost half my team." He sighed.

Ash frowned. "Well, how many pokémon do you have?" he asked.

Ritchie seemed in deep thought for a few seconds before he spoke up to answer the raven-haired trainer's question. "As for now, I have Zippo, who's still a Charmander, Happy the Butterfree, Alan the Sandshrew, a Pikachu named Sparky and a humongous Tentacruel that I caught in Acapulco."

Ash blinked. "Humongous – do you mean like those giant pokémon?" he probed in awe.

Ritchie grinned as he nodded. "Actually, the toxins released in the water caused a Tentacool to mutate and become a gigantic Tentacruel. I calmed him down, though, and I treated him a bit, so his size has reduced. If I wouldn't have done that, he would've been bigger than giant pokémon."

"Listen," Leaf interjected. "I would love for you two to carry on your chat of how many pokémon you all have, but I'm starving right now. Could we eat, please?"

Ash nodded and smiled at the thought of dinner and ran to the staff of the cafeteria. Ash practically scared the chef into making him a two ounce steak, which he prepared in about twenty minutes, and without setting the plate on the table he wolfed it down in around thirty seconds. The chef gave him an angry look as Ash asked for another piece of steak, but she complied with his demands.

Ash heaved a sigh of relief. This was the best steak that he had had in days.

As the group had supper they talked a lot, and Misty and Brock learned that, just like Ash, he had a strong love for pokémon and nicknamed his pokémon. Ash was continuously challenging Ritchie for battles, but the trainer simply dismissed it. Ash was disappointed, but Ritchie promised him that once they all had collected the sufficient Gym Badges he would have an all-out, no-hold pokémon battle with him. Ash seemed quite happy with that, and he promised Ritchie that he would hold up his end of their deal.

Ash released a rude burp, ignoring Misty's disgusted face and cherishing Leaf's giggle. "So, Ritchie, have you had your Gym Battle with Erika yet?" he asked.

Ritchie shook his head. "No. I decided to get some more training before I would challenge Erika." Ritchie took a napkin from the table and politely wiped the stains of gravy around his mouth. "If you must know, I'm challenging Erika tomorrow. What about you?"

Ash grinned. "I'm challenging Erika tomorrow, too!" he exclaimed, giving the auburn-haired trainer a hi-five.

"Uh, in that case, who's going to challenge her first?"

Ash smiled and shook his head. "Hey, there's no problem if you go first!" Ash said, and he later smirked. "In any case, I can see her tactics and strategies before I challenge her."

Ritchie chuckled, and he accepted Ash's offer while Leaf looked at Ash with a smile. Ash really had matured since the beginning of his journey.

* * *

Ash sat around in the lobby of the Pokémon Centre, waiting for the rest to get ready for his and Ritchie's Gym Battle. Several other trainers were sitting on the sofas, but they had merely come to heal up their pokémon before they set off to either Saffron or the west. Ash had made sure to check on Bacchus, who was currently being fed mild Chansey eggs, although in the form of stasis. He hoped his friend would be perfectly alright one he'd be released.

Ritchie and Brock were sitting beside him, but the hormonal teen was reading several magazines in a stand nearby, leaving Ash and Ritchie to discuss about their pokémon. Ritchie was burning with jealousy over that fact that Ash had acquired a Bulbasaur, a Charmander _and_ a pokémon from a faraway region. The brown-haired boy prayed for having another Kanto starter beside his Charmander.

Misty and Leaf came out together from their rooms, dressed in their normal trainer clothes as they sat on the long sofa. Leaf looked through her pokedex while Misty admired her lure – that was until a peculiar Psyduck walked dumbly towards her and gave her a curious look.

It took a moment before she even acknowledged the Psyduck, who continued to tilt his head side by side while he stared at the girl, unnerving her. "Oh, hello," she told the Psyduck in an offhand manner. "What're you doing here?"

Instead, the Psyduck smiled and pecked her on the lips.

Ash, Ritchie and Leaf roared in laughter while Brock stifled a giggle as Misty looked absolutely horrified by the water type pokémon's action. A few people, including Nurse Joy, looked at the group oddly as loud sounds of laughter were continued to be given off by them.

Ash wiped tears of hilarity from his eyes and he looked at the redhead. "Misty, I think Psyduck wants to be your boyfriend," he said before he continued to laugh.

Brock looked at the girl, who was shaking with anger from Ash's remark. "Calm down, Misty. I think Psyduck simply wants a treat." He handed a food pellet to her, and Misty angrily snatched it from his hand. "Why don't you give it to him?"

"Fine," she grumbled, but before she could do anything the Psyduck walked towards her and pecked at an empty pokeball around her belt. She shrieked in horror as Psyduck let himself be captured, and it took only a second for the pokeball to click.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" she cried out as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Misty grabbed her head in frustration. "Grr…!" She gritted her teeth as she rubbed her temples.

Ash chuckled. "Looks like Psyduck likes you," he said.

Psyduck's pokeball wiggled in response.

* * *

Ash and Ritchie were both pumped up for their battles against Erika. If he would receive the Rainbow Badge, he would complete a milestone by receiving half the badges needed to enter the Pokémon League. As the group headed to the Gym, Ash and Ritchie talked about the pokémon they were going to battle with in the Gym. Ritchie had stated that he was relying mostly on his Charmander, Zippo, and said that Ash should rely on his Charmander too.

Since Ash had a whole slew of pokémon that would be strong against Erika's grass types, Ash had a hard time choosing his pokémon for the battle. Her pokémon would be weak to Bunsen and Pidgeotto, while any of her part poison types could be easily taken care of Butterfree's immensely powerful psychic powers. However, he knew that all of his pokémon liked to face challenges. Krabby had never been part of a Gym Battle yet, but he still was quite capable when faced by a grass type, so there wouldn't be a problem using him too, and since Froakie fell into the same category he could think of seeing how he would fare against grass types. Then there was Amethyst, who was there with him from the start.

"Here is the Gym!" Ritchie announced once they arrived, pulling Ash out of his thoughts.

The Celadon City Gym was the most exquisite building in the city. It was a shining structure made out of jade light, the entire outside made of panels of green, tinted glass that shone like emeralds. It was held together by two chunks of wood that had been polished to shine as well, and vines were draped across them like leafy, green scarves.

"It's beautiful," Ash muttered as he and the group slowly walked to the Gym.

As they were about to enter the gym, they noticed an elderly man looking through the glass building. The group gave him a questioning look, and the man gave a mischievous look in return.

"Heheheh," he chuckled, half-peeping in the Gym. "This place is full of pretty women!"

Leaf and Misty rolled their eyes and gave them man a scowl when they heard the comment, thinking of him as a pervert. They then unknowingly gave Brock a sideways glance, and Brock frowned and looked offended.

"Hey!" he exclaimed a bit angrily. "I'm no pervert, okay!"

"Whatever," Misty muttered as they entered the Gym.

Ash took a whiff of the air and was instantly spellbound by it. He gave a dreamy smile – the air smelled of strawberries, making it euphoric. He imagined that the pokémon here were constantly using Sweet Scent.

Ash and Ritchie instantly ran up to the receptionist – a teenage girl with sleek glasses – when the saw her. The two stopped right in front of her, and Ritchie began to formally request a battle.

"Hello ma'am," Ritchie greeted politely. "We're here to request for a Gym Battle with Leader Erika."

The receptionist gave them a nod and opened a clipboard while she took a ballpoint pen. "May I know your names?"

"He's Ritchie Hiroshi, and I'm Ash Ketchum," Ash introduced.

The receptionist nodded and glanced down at her clipboard before she wrote down a few things on it before she looked up again.

"Erika will be waiting in the garden. Just go in the door to your left."

"Thanks." Ritchie gave a bow before he and the rest of the group walked to the door, which led them to a corridor with several shelves on either side. Leaf and Misty looked around to see several, small bottles that had labels on them, ranging from oils to perfumes, and even to some labelled as a 'Secret Ingredient'.

"I've heard that Erika owns a perfume brand," Misty commented as she brushed her fingers against the glass bottles. "They're said to be very…fragrant."

In no time, the group had found an exit to the corridor, which led to an enormous, circular garden with curved stands at the circumference of it. Ash figured that this was the battlefield, since he saw the outline of a rectangular box.

Ash narrowed his eyes until he finally located Erika – a young woman with short, violet hair held back by a headband dressed in a kimono – sitting on a short stool, attending to a few grass types around her. As he walked closer he finally saw that she was simply extracting the atrocious honey that a Gloom was drooling from his mouth, perhaps for one of her perfumes that Misty mentioned before.

He felt the smell worsening as he and the group walked closer to her, and the Gloom seemed to frown as they approached the Gym Leader. Erika simply whispered something to him, and the foul fragrance lessened.

"Hello," Erika said in a regal voice as Brock looked immediately love-struck, "My name is Erika. I suppose that you all are here to battle me?"

"It's just me and my friend over here," Ritchie corrected as he pointed at himself and Ash.

Erika nodded. "May I ask who is first?" she questioned.

Ritchie stepped forward. "I am."

She smiled. "Good," she said. "I will be pleased to have a match with you. Give me some time to prepare, and I will meet you back here in about ten minutes."

"Great! Thank you!" Ritchie smiled.

* * *

It was now time for Ritchie to have his Gym battle. He was now standing on the opposite side of Erika with a judge between the two of them, the two trainers holding a pokeball in their hands. Ash, Misty, Brock and Leaf were watching from the sidelines, cheering for the auburn-haired boy.

"This will be an official Gym battle between the leader Erika and Ritchie Hiroshi from Pallet Town. It will be a three-on-three match, and only the challenger is allowed to make substitutions. There will be no time limit!" the referee stated.

"Go, Roselia!" Erika called out as she hurled her pokeball in the air to reveal a light-green bipedal pokémon that none of them had seen. She had three thorns on top of her head, and black eyes with long eyelashes. There were leaves extending from her shoulders like epaulettes, while she held a rose in each of her hands – a red one in her right and a blue one on her left.

Ash, Ritchie and Leaf scanned the pokémon with the help of their pokedexes. " **Roselia, the thorn pokémon, is a grass and poison type pokémon. Roselia shoots sharp thorns as projectiles at any opponent that tries to steal their flowers on its arms. The aroma of this pokémon brings serenity to living things. This Roselia is a female.** "

Ritchie smirked. "In that case, I choose Zippo!" Ritchie yelled as he tossed his pokeball in the air. Zippo landed on the grassy field and stared at his opponent before growling.

"Begin!" the referee declared.

"Roselia, use Growth," Erika said with pure elegance. Roselia's body glowed for a few seconds, and she seemed to grow a bit in size. If Ash's memory served him correctly, Growth would raise the Attack and Special Attacks stats by a great number.

"Zippo, use Ember!" he ordered. Zippo swung his tail, shooting speedy balls of fire that struck Roselia's body in a few seconds and scorched her.

"Roselia, use Toxic Spikes!" Erika commanded.

"Zippo, watch out!" Ritchie hollered.

Roselia aimed her roses at Zippo and began to shoot many purple darts from them. The Charmander got an alarmed look on his face and closed his eyes to brace himself, but nothing happened. Instead, the poisonous darts were being scattered all around the battlefield. It wasn't long before the darts settled down, mainly on Ritchie's side of the field. The darts then sat in place for a moment before sinking into the loamy soil.

Ritchie looked around in confusion, and the rest (excluding Erika) had a similar expression on their face. Was Roselia's aim so terrible?

"Okay, Zippo! Use Smokescreen!" he ordered. Zippo nodded before releasing thick, black smokes from his mouth that covered the battlefield and blinded Roselia. Roselia looked around frantically, trying her best to locate Zippo, but to no avail.

Ritchie grinned. "Zippo, use Swift!"

Roselia's eyes widened as she saw star-shaped rays of energy heading towards her. She tried her best to dodge it, but the stars simply slammed into her and hurled her to the ground. Knowing that Swift would never miss, Ritchie continued to order Zippo to use Swift.

That was until the smoke started to clear out, added by Roselia spinning to speed up process. "Roselia, use Sweet Scent!"

Roselia's rose petals began to twitch violently, releasing a powdery, pink substance that began to float towards Zippo. Zippo breathed in the air and soon got a relaxed look on his face. He felt so…peaceful.

"Zippo, snap out of it!" Ritchie yelled. However, Zippo didn't seem to hear him and he continued to have a silly grin on his face.

"Now that he's distracted, use Poison Sting, followed with Leech Seed!" Erika called out. Roselia gave a short nod before firing several of the thin, poison secreting barbs from the centers of her roses at Zippo. The barbs struck Zippo on his torso and stunned him, allowing the small seed to bounce against his scaly skin and wrap him with the help of several vines.

This broke Zippo out of his trance, and he began to struggle against the vines. "Char!" he cried in pain and his energy was being sapped by the seed.

"Roselia, use Double-Edge!" Erika added.

"Zippo, use Fire Fang once she comes close!" Ritchie countered.

As Roselia began to charge at Zippo with all her strength, Zippo's fangs were surrounded by flames. Although he was hurt by the life-risking tackle by Roselia, he still had the strength to dig his sharp fangs into Roselia's torso, earning a squeal of pain.

"Now, Zippo, use Flamethrower!"

Erika's eyes widened in horror as a fiery blast of flames engulfed the thorn pokémon. A few moments later, the flames died down to reveal Roselia, who was scorched and charred by the attack. She stood upright for a few seconds before she fell down, twitching for a last time before going unconscious.

"Return, Roselia," Erika said with a sigh. The beam of red light struck the grass type before absorbing her back into the sphere.

Ash sighed. "I though Zippo was going to lose right there," he muttered from the stands.

Brock nodded. "Zippo isn't going to last long against that Leech Seed. It'll be only a matter of minutes before he falls unconscious," Brock said.

"Victreebel, go!" Erika called out. A large, yellow pokémon with a bell-shaped body and a gaping mouth that had two sharp teeth, burst out of the sphere. Covering his mouth was a large leaf with a long, brown, yellow-tipped vine growing out of it. Ritchie fished out his pokedex and scanned the Victreebel with it, trying to gain as much information out of him.

" **Victreebel, the flycatcher pokémon, is a grass and poison type pokémon,** " the pokedex said. " **Once ingested into this pokémon's body, even the hardest object will melt into nothing. This Victreebel is a male.** "

"Acid!" the Gym Leader called out.

"Dodge it! Follow with Dragon Rage," Ritchie said.

Despite Zippo's condition, he was still able to avoid the spray of poison from Victreebel. Ritchie made a mental note to avoid that part of the battlefield, which was a puddle of acid.

The Charmander blasted a yellow sphere of pure energy that rocketed towards Victreebel and struck him dead-on, causing him to yell from the attack.

"Victreebel, shake it off and grab him with your vines!"

Victreebel then shot out his vines and wrapped them around Zippo. Zippo tried to avoid them, but the vines followed him and grabbed him.

"Now that you have control of him, you know what to do, Victreebel," Erika said.

Victreebel's eyes narrowed before he brought down his opponent with all the strength he could muster. Zippo cried out in pain while Victreebel continued to slam him on the ground. Ritchie cringed at the situation Zippo was in. He had to get Zippo to break free.

"Zippo, use Flamethrower on the vines!" he called out.

Erika gasped. "Oh, no!" she exclaimed. "Victreebel, throw that Charmander away from you!"

Victreebel swung his vines around and threw Zippo through the air, but not before the flame pokémon was able to light Victreebel's vines on fire. The fire traveled along the vines until they got to Victreebel's body, where they continued to burn.

Zippo was able to land on his feet, despite the powerful throw. He was still showing signs of fatigue, however. Meanwhile, Victreebel had withdrawn his vines to stop the fire.

"Victreebel, use Magical Leaf!" Erika hollered.

"Zippo, dodge it!" Ritchie called out.

"I'm afraid that your Charmander can't dodge this one," Erika replied as she shook her head. "Magical Leaf is a move that never misses. See for yourself."

Ritchie turned his attention to the flycatcher pokémon, who shot a flurry of sharp, colorful leaves that sped towards Zippo, who was doing his best to dodge the volley of sharp leaves. However, the leaves were _chasing_ Zippo and they struck him dead-on, sending him tumbling to the ground.

"Zippo, no!" he cried out.

The vines on the Charmander's body continued to glow as they sapped the energy out of Zippo, and they all knew that he was out of the match. Ritchie pulled out Zippo's pokeball and was about to recall him, but a loud growl cut him off and surprised him.

Zippo struggled to stand up on his legs, and a few moments later he managed to do so. Everyone looked at the creature in awe. His flame was bigger than ever and was bright-orange. Ritchie simply stood there, stunned, while Zippo glared at Victreebel with feral eyes and sent a shiver down the flycatcher's spine before Zippo began to glow. Was he evolving?

The people in the garden stared in amazement as Zippo's body began to grow, and a large horn started to protrude from the back of his head. His claws grew sharper and the flame on his tail grew bigger. A few seconds later, the glow died down to reveal a fierce-looking Charmeleon in place of a Charmander. The newly-evolved Charmander bared his fangs as crouched down, before he finally roared and stretched out his arms, the vines around him snapping apart from his strength.

"Zippo…evolved?!" Ash exclaimed, completely astounded and awed by what he saw.

Erika looked stunned by what just happened, allowing Ritchie to call out his next move as he grinned. "Awesome, Zippo," he muttered. "Let's use Dragon Rage!"

Victreebel simply took the full brunt of the shockwave of rage, and he was thrown in the air before he crashed into the ground. Victreebel hopped back into his spot, growling fiercely as he stared at his opponent.

"Victreebel, use Power Whip!" Erika commanded. Victreebel shot out a vine from his body, ready to lash Zippo with it. Ash, Leaf, Brock and Misty narrowed their eyes as they stared at the vine. This one was different. It was longer, thicker and seemed to glow a dark green. Zippo had to be careful of it.

Their suspicious came true as the vine struck against his body, earning a howl of pain from the Charmeleon. A mark had formed where Victreebel had lashed Zippo.

"Zippo, don't take that abuse!" Ritchie shouted. "Catch that vine!"

Zippo gritted his teeth as he caught the powerful vine in his hand, although the lash on his palm had caused a lot of pain. Zippo then wrapped his arm with the vine, preventing Victreebel from withdrawing it.

Ritchie grinned. "Good job, Zippo!" he complimented.

Erika glared at him. "Victreebel, withdraw that vine!"

"Let him do it, Zippo," Ritchie told his pokémon.

Erika frowned at this, but nevertheless allowed her pokémon to do so. Victreebel put all his strength to pull in the vine, taking Zippo with it. At the last second, Zippo let loose of the vine and slashed Victreebel with his enlarged claws, leaving three, lined marks on his body.

Everyone could see Victreebel and Zippo breathing heavily, clearly fatigued. It was only a matter of moments before either of them succumbed to their injuries, and both Erika and Ritchie knew it.

"Victreebel, Giga Impact!" Erika shouted.

"Zippo, use Flare Blitz!" Ritchie hollered.

Both pokémon nodded as they began to charge up for the powerful attacks. The Charmeleon growled as he was engulfed by flames, while Victreebel was cocooned by a veil of purple energy. It was then that both pokémon charged at each other with all their speed and energy, and they continued to yell until the collided against each other, resulting in an explosion.

The force of the collision threw each pokémon backwards as the smoke engulfed them. Erika and Ritchie knew that their pokémon couldn't survive the collision, and so each took out a pokeball and recalled their pokémon.

"Thanks a lot, Zippo," Ritchie muttered to his Charmeleon's pokeball. "You did great." He then unclipped another pokeball on his belt and hurled it in the air. "Alan, I choose you!"

The pokeball snapped open to reveal the same Sandshrew that Ash had seen back In Pewter City, except for the fact that he had grown a bit larger and looked close to evolving. It would be a miracle if Alan would evolve in this battle too.

However, as soon as Alan's feet touched the grass, the Toxic Spikes that Roselia had sprayed on the ground erupted from underneath. The poison then seeped out of the needles and into the Sandshrew's body. The mouse pokémon grimaced as the poison flowed inside his body, but he did his best to forget about it.

Erika sent out an Exeggutor onto the battlefield. Ash had seen them many times on television, on a channel called 'Dude versus Wild'. Ash opened his pokedex to gain more information on the pokémon.

" **Exeggutor, the coconut pokémon, is a grass and psychic type pokémon,** " the pokedex stated. " **It is called 'The Walking Jungle'. If a head grows too big, it falls off and becomes an Exeggute. This Exeggutor is a male.** "

"Begin!" the referee declared.

"Exeggutor, Use Reflect," Erika said, and a thick, pink barrier formed in front of Exeggutor before it vanished after a few seconds.

"Alan, use Rollout!" Ritchie commanded.

"Exeggutor, use Energy Ball!"

While the Sandshrew curled up into a ball and rolled towards Exeggutor, the coconut pokémon started to quickly gather energy from the sun. He then let loose a glowing, green orb at Alan at an alarming speed. The orb hit Alan on his tough hide, and it looked like two spheres of energy crashing into each other. The sheer force of the attack was enough to knock Alan back, where he crashed against a wall.

"Alan!" Ritchie exclaimed, clearly worried. "Are you alright?"

Alan uncurled and gave a weak nod towards Ritchie. He then turned to Exeggutor and gave him a glare before brandishing his claws. "Okay, Alan, let's try Metal Claw!" Ritchie said.

Alan nodded as his claws glowed white, enlarging by a few inches and turning into a metallic color. He then charged at Exeggutor at an alarming speed, who simply smirked before his eyes glowed blue.

"Exeggutor, unleash Psychic," Erika ordered calmly.

Alan's eyes widened in surprise as he was lifted from the ground and up into the air, suffused by a blue aura, where he grimaced from being in touch with the psychic powers. Exeggutor then gave a silly grin before slamming Alan to the ground with his psychic powers.

"Alan, use Dig!" Ritchie yelled.

Alan then swiped his claws at the ground, hurling a low of dirt in the air until he dove into the tunnel formed by him. Exeggutor looked around frantically, trying his best to locate the Sandshrew, but to no avail.

To much surprise, Alan burst out of the ground from behind Exeggutor and swiped at him with his sharp claws. Exeggutor cried out in pain before once again controlling Alan with his psychic powers, yanking him off the ground.

"Exeggutor, use Solarbeam!"

Ritchie drew a panicked expression on his face. "Alan, try to break free!"

Alan tried his best to break free from the psychic powers, but Exeggutor was too strong for him. The coconut pokémon then began to absorb a lot of energy from the sun that was pouring into the Celadon Gym. Once he was finished, a faint, white aura surrounded him.

"Okay, Exeggutor. Now let it fly!" Erika shouted.

Exeggutor then let loose a massive amount of energy from his three mouths, which converged and formed a thick, white beam that struck Alan and engulfed him. The Sandshrew was thrown back by the force of the attack before he slammed against the wall and slumped down, utterly defeated.

"Sandshrew is unable to battle! The victor is Exeggutor!" the referee declared, pointing a flag in Exeggutor's direction.

"Oh, poor Alan," Leaf said sadly.

"Alan, return," he said, pointing the sphere in the fallen Sandshrew's direction. "You did good, Alan, now take a good rest." Ritchie then unclipped his third pokeball and glared at Erika and Exeggutor. "Happy, I choose you!"

"His Butterfree?" Ash asked in confusion.

"It seems to be a wise choice," Brock said as he rubbed his chin. "Since Exeggutor is a grass _and_ psychic type, he is extremely weak to bug type attacks. I think his Butterfree can pull it off."

"Exeggutor, use Psychic!" his trainer commanded.

"Happy, use Silver Wind!" shouted Ritchie.

Happy flapped his wings to release a wind with silver crescents in it, while Exeggutor shot a faint, pink wave telekinetic force. The two attacks slammed into each other and blew the two pokémon away from each other.

"Happy, use Tailwind!"

The Butterfree nodded before waving his wings, brewing a strong whirlwind that engulfed the bug type. Happy did not seem deterred by the whirlwind at all – in fact, it seemed to be helping him to move faster.

"Happy, now attack with Bug Bite!" shouted Ritchie.

"Exeggutor, use your Psychic to stop him!" Erika shouted.

Exeggutor nodded before being surrounded by a blue aura. Ritchie shouted at Happy to dodge as an invisible blast erupted from Exeggutor's body.

To everyone's surprise, Happy seemed invisible as he evaded the waves of psychic energy before digging his sharp, glowing teeth into Exeggutor's midsection. It looked as if the Butterfree had _teleported_ to his opponent to deliver the bite, forcing Exeggutor to roar in pain as he wriggled to throw Happy off his body.

A curious Ash typed in 'Tailwind' in his pokedex to learn about the move, and he quickly found out that it increased a pokémon's speed by twofold.

"Happy, use Supersonic!" commanded Ritchie.

Erika whimpered. "Exeggutor, get him off of you!"

Happy let go of Exeggutor and swiftly blasted rings of energy that disappeared into Exeggutor's body to carry out its work. The supersonic beams disoriented his focus and made his vision hazy, making him unable to understand anything.

"Exeggutor, snap out of it!" Erika cried out.

Ritchie smirked. "Happy, finish this off with Silver Wind!"

Butterfree then flapped his wings to release a cyclone of winds at Exeggutor. The crescent-shaped rays of energy slammed into him and knocked him to the ground. After a few seconds, it was clear that the coconut pokémon was knocked out.

"Exeggutor is unable to battle! That means that the winner of this match is Ritchie Hiroshi!" the referee declared.

Ritchie's face broke out into a huge grin as he ran to give Happy a hug. The Butterfree gasped for breath as Ritchie wrapped his arms around the winged creature, letting go only after a minute. Ash, Leaf, Misty and Brock too ran down from the sidelines to congratulate their friend.

Erika handed a flower shaped badge with several different colors on each petal to Ritchie, who happily accepted it. Ash Erika walked away, Ash suddenly remembered that he too was supposed to have a Gym Battle with Erika.

"Erm, excuse me, Miss Erika," Ash said as he approached her.

"Yes? How can I help you?" Erika asked, giving him a kind smile that made Brock's knees weak.

"My name is Ash Ketchum, and I too am here to challenge you for the Rainbow Badge," he explained.

Erika sighed, but a second later she got the kind smile back on her face. "Very well, Ash. I will meet you back here in about twenty minutes."

Ash grinned. "Thank you," he said as he nodded in acknowledgement.

* * *

Ash and Erika stood at either side of the battlefield, a pokeball in hand. Ash heaved a sigh. After a lot of thinking, he had decided to use Krabby, Pidgeotto and Bunsen for the battle.

"We shall have the same rules as before," Erika said, interrupting the referee. Ash gave a nod to her, and a few moments later the referee declared that the match had begun.

"Go, Tangela!" Erika shouted. The pokeball snapped open to reveal a pokémon completely covered in bluish-green vines. In short, she looked like a walking bag of noodles.

"A Tangela, huh?" said Ash as he scanned the pokémon with his pokedex.

" **Tangela, the vine pokémon, is a grass type pokémon,** " the pokedex stated. " **It tangles any moving thing with its vines. Their subtle shaking is ticklish if you get ensnared. This Tangela is a female.** "

"In that case, I'll choose Krabby!" Ash said as he threw his pokeball forward.

"Ash is going to use _Krabby_ in this match?!" Misty exclaimed in confusion. "He's never had a real battle, and he's a _water type_!"

"Hold on, Misty. We still have to see what Ash is up to," Brock replied.

"Come on, Ash," Leaf muttered as she brought her hands to her face and blushed. Ash had trained his pokémon so hard and she hoped that he would win.

"You're going to use a water type?" Erika asked as she raised an eyebrow. "That is very bold of you."

"Krabby and I have a few tricks up our sleeves, don't we, Krabby?" Ash asked with a smile, receiving a nod from Krabby.

"Very well, but I will not go easy," Erika replied. "Tangela, use Vine Whip!"

"Krabby cut those vines with your pincers!" Ash shouted.

Just like he had done with Bacchus, Krabby began snipping the vines with great precision, not allowing even a single creeper to come near him. Tangela winced every time one of her vines was snipped up, but Ash knew that a Tangela could easily regenerate any vine on his or her body.

"Impressive," Erika admitted, "but try this! Tangela, use Leech Seed!"

"Krabby, knock that seed back with your pincer!" countered Ash.

Once the seed reached Krabby, he swung his pincer in the air, which collided against the seed and sent it flying back. Tangela was too stunned by what just happed and was unaware that the Leech Seed had backfired and was sapping the energy from her.

"Great!" Ash exclaimed. "Now, use Crabhammer!"

Krabby charged up one of his pincers, making it shine brightly before he charged towards Tangela. With his swift feet he skittled towards the vine pokémon and slammed his charged pincer at her, sending her tumbling back.

"Awesome, Krabby!" he said. "Now, use Stomp!"

Krabby tucked in his legs and leapt into the air, but Erika and her Tangela weren't going to give in easily.

"Tangela, use Stun Spore!"

Despite being hurt by the previous volley of attacks, Tangela began emitting brown powder from all over her body which settled on Krabby mid-air. The spores immediately took effect, Krabby grimacing from the effects and landing ungracefully on the ground.

"Krabby, are you okay?" Ash asked frantically.

"Tangela, go for Mega Drain!" Erika ordered.

Vines shot out from her body and rocketed towards Krabby before wrapping around his limbs, glowing as she absorbed the energy from inside Krabby's body. The river crab grimaced as he grew weaker and weaker, feeling uneasy as he was helpless from Tangela's attack.

 _There's got to be a way to get rid of the Stun Spore…_ Ash thought. A few seconds later an idea clicked inside his head. "Krabby, use Water Pulse on yourself!"

Krabby turned upwards, and with some effort, managed to launch several spheres of water in the air from inside his pincers. The spheres of water then began to plummet down before crashing against Krabby's body and completely drenching him. Once it was finished, he managed to shake the remaining water on him and looked as good as new. The water had wiped off the spores on his body.

"That was smart for Krabby to use Water Pulse on himself," Brock admired.

"I'm impressed too. Ash is an able battler," Ritchie added.

"Good going, Krabby!" Ash called out to him, and the crustacean nodded. "Let's use Mud Shot!"

"Tangela, get out of the way!" the Gym Leader shouted.

But it was too late. Tangela had already been struck by the blob of mud that Krabby fired from inside his pincers, and the gluey mud had stuck on Tangela's body and was weighing her down. It was hard for the ball of vines to move, and so Ash called out to Krabby for another attack.

"Krabby, use Metal Claw!"

"Kokee, Kokee," Krabby acknowledged as his pincers turned a metallic shade, hardening until it was as sturdy as a block of steel. Krabby then skittered towards Tangela, who was doing her best to remove the mud on her vines, and raised his pincers with the intent to hurt.

Erika, however, was not going to give in so easily. "Tangela, use Bullet Seed!"

Krabby successfully clawed Tangela with his steel-hard pincers, but a second later Tangela forcefully shot numerous seeds at her target in rapid succession. Although the seeds were not very effective against Krabby's hard exoskeleton, the attack still hurt him and stunned him for a second.

"Now, Tangela, use Giga Drain!"

Tangela shot out two vines and wrapped them around both of Krabby's pincers. The vines started to glow, and Krabby cried out in pain as his energy was being sapped out.

Ash winced. "Krabby, use Water Pulse!" he said tensely.

The pulsing blast of water was launched a second later after the command was given, and it made direct contact with Tangela's face. Even though the attack did do much, it was still potent enough to stun Tangela and leave it in a dazed state long enough for Krabby to get another attack in.

"Now, lift Tangela above your head and send her flying!" Ash hollered.

Krabby lifted Tangela with his pincers and set her on top of Krabby's head, and flung Tangela in the air with the help of the two, short horns on his head. Once Tangela reached a certain height, she began to fall down directly towards Krabby, but the river crab quickly hardened one of his pincers and slammed it against her underside, hard enough to knock her out.

"Tangela is unable to battle. Krabby wins!" the referee declared.

"My, my," Erika muttered as she recalled her pokémon, "that was impressive. But let's see how you fare against this one! Vileplume, I choose you!" Vileplume was revealed to be a blue pokémon with rudimentary hands and a massive, red flower growing from her head.

"A Vileplume…"

" **Vileplume, the flower pokémon, is a grass and poison type pokémon,** " the pokedex informed. " **The larger its petals, the more toxic pollen it contains. Its big head is heavy and hard to hold up. This Vileplume is a female.** "

"So it's one of those grass/poison types," Ash muttered to himself. "Are you ready to win again, Krabby?"

"Kokee, Kokee," Krabby replied, nodding his head in confirmation.

"Vileplume, use Energy Ball!" Erika shouted.

Vileplume quickly absorbed enough sunlight to form a green orb of energy, which she shot at Krabby at an alarming speed. The sphere hit Krabby dead-on, knocking him back on the ground and earning a weak croak.

"Krabby is unable to battle! Vileplume wins!" the referee declared.

Ash recalled Krabby to his pokeball and gave a smile. "Thanks a lot, Krabby. You battled really well," he told him before he chose his next pokémon. "Okay, I've decided. Pidgeotto, I choose you!"

"J'iotto!" the bird pokémon cried as soon as she took to the air.

"Are you ready, Pidgeotto?" Ash asked her.

Pidgeotto gave a short nod as she continued to flap her wings.

"Okay, then! Start off with Wing Attack!"

The avian creature angled down, sucking in her guts so that she could descend quicker. In no less than a second she sped towards Vileplume, tucking in her wings to decrease air resistance.

"Vileplume, get ready!" Erika called out. "Petal Dance!" she commanded. Vileplume began to spin gracefully, as if it were dancing, and a moment later she shot a volley of big, thick and beautiful-but-deadly flower petals at Pidgeotto.

"Do a barrel roll!" Ash shouted. Pidgeotto did a spin mid-fall, the speedy petals missing most of her but managing to just graze her soft belly. Pidgeotto the spread out her glowing wings at the last second, ignoring the slight pain on her stomach, and slammed the wings against Vileplume's body, knocking her down.

"Now use Twister!" Ash shouted.

Vileplume continued to spin, shooting another volley of petals at Pidgeotto, but the bird simply flapped her powerful wings and sent the petals back at her. Pidgeotto then continued to flap her wings, whipping up a vicious tornado in the middle of the field, and with another flap the tornado sped towards Vileplume and trapped her inside it. Vileplume continued to spin inside it, along with the petals, which were backfired onto her and were striking her body. A few moments later the twister died down and Vileplume fell to the ground.

Erika gritted her teeth. "Vileplume, use Energy Ball!"

Instead, Vileplume punched herself in the face, earning a look of surprise from everyone.

Ash blinked a few times, breath caught in his throat – he had been holding it for the past few seconds. "What the…"

Erika cursed under her breath. "Confused already…?"

A few seconds later, Ash grinned. From what he had learnt in Pokémon School, excess use of Petal Dance could lead to confusion. "Yes!" He pumped a fist in the air. "Pidgeotto, this is our chance – get her with Air Cutter!"

"J'iotto!" she cried, slashing a wing in the air to create a blade of wind that travelled towards Vileplume and struck her across her abdomen, making her cry out in pain from the super-effective attack.

"Great, Pidgeotto!" Ash praised. "Now, use Quick Attack!"

Pidgeotto left a trail of white energy as she swooped down to a confused Vileplume, slamming into the grass type with her beak. Vileplume stumbled back in pain and confusion, unable to comprehend what was going on during her confused state.

"Don't give up!" Erika called out. "Concentrate and use Flail!"

The worn grass type clenched her eyes shut, concentrating as hard as she possibly could.

"Another Quick Attack, Pidgeotto!" Ash commanded through a grin of excitement.

"PLUUUUME!" the Vileplume cried out, stunning Pidgeotto as she flailed aimlessly to attack – head-butting, kicking, swiping, punching. Pidgeotto shrieked as the grass type spun around in her spot, striking Pidgeotto with the flower on her head.

"Pidgeotto, let's wrap this up with Wing Attack!" shouted Ash.

Pidgeotto rocketed skywards, tucking in her wings until she reached an appropriate height before swooping down in an instant while her wings glowed brightly. Vileplume looked dazed from the previous attacks, and she did not even attempt to dodge Pidgeotto's wings. They slammed into her, knocking her to the ground in an unconscious state.

"Vileplume is unable to battle!" the referee announced. "Pidgeotto wins!"

"Return, Vileplume," Erika muttered, the red beam engulfing the fallen pokémon and transferring her into stasis. Erika then took out another pokeball from her kimono, tossed it in the air and shouted, "Magnum, come out!"

Every child around every region could recognize and name the various starter pokémon unique to each region, and Ash's eyes widened as he looked longingly at Erika's Meganium. Meganium was the prettiest of all starters, and Ash could see why – light green skin that managed to glow, a face that was permanently smiling, a neck surrounded by four petals that were wobbling slightly.

"Are you done admiring Magnum?" Erika asked, letting out a short giggle a second later. "Let us begin. Magnum, use Razor Leaf!"

Ash shook his head and exited from his trance. "Pidgeotto, use Air Cutter!"

Magnum rotated his head quickly, shooting a dozen sharp leaves at Ash's Pidgeotto, who managed to slice every single leaf with a single blade of wind. Magnum sidestepped, allowing the blade of air to crash against the ground before his petals began to shine brightly.

"Hurry up, Pidgeotto!" he shouted as cold realization dawned on him. "He's going to use Solarbeam!"

Pidgeotto certainly got the message, but she seemed to lower down second by second, making Ash scrunch his eyebrows in confusion until finally Pidgeotto settled on the ground, lying spread-eagled, as if she had dozed off. The Meganium continued to absorb more energy from the sun while Erika simply smiled.

Ash blinked several times. "How did this…?"

"It seems that Vileplume's Effect Spore worked after all," she replied, the smile growing wider and wider.

" **Effect Spore: The opponent has a ten percent chance of being paralyzed, poisoned or being put to sleep when using an attack, that requires physical contact, against the user,** " the pokedex piped up.

Ash cursed under his breath. It seemed that Pidgeotto had been put to sleep.

"Now, Magnum!" shouted Erika, and Magnum suddenly opened his mouth, unleashing a bright beam of pure energy that forced Ash to look away, illuminated the gym and earned a pained scream from his sleeping Pidgeotto.

Ash felt sick. This was not what he expected. The thick veil of dust soon cleared, showing a still-smiling Meganium and a knocked out Pidgeotto who was sprawling on the ground. Without saying anything, Ash recalled his pokémon, gave her thanks and unclipped another pokeball.

"Bunsen, I choose you!" he bellowed, the lizard bursting out of the pokeball and crouching before standing upright and looking at Magnum. Finally learning that he was in battle, he took a defensive stance and gritted his teeth after giving a bright smile at Ash.

"Okay, Bunsen, let's win this!" Ash shouted.

"Magnum, use Magical Leaf!" Erika commanded.

"Bunsen, roast those leaves with Flamethrower!"

Magnum once again swung his head, shooting a volley of colorful leaves that followed Bunsen wherever he went. Following his trainers commands, he spewed powerful flames that completely engulfed the leaves and burnt them until they turned to dust.

Bunsen narrowed his eyes as he saw a figure through the smoke, but it was too late for him to realize that it was Magnum. The Meganium rushed through the smoke and tackled Bunsen to the ground, leaving him gasping for breath before he stood back up.

"Bunsen, are you okay?" Ash asked.

"Char!" the Charmander said with a nod.

"Magnum, use Reflect!" The Meganium closed his eyes and meditated as an invisible barrier rose in front of him.

"Bunsen, use Dragon Rage!"

"Magnum, counter with Energy Ball!" she yelled.

The Energy Ball was humongous compared to what her Exeggutor or her Vileplume had produced – it was almost equal in size to Bunsen's Dragon Rage. The two shockwaves of energy clashed into each other, throwing Bunsen back due to the force of the explosion. Magnum simply dug his forelegs into the ground to stop himself from being hurled backwards.

Bunsen groaned as he pushed himself away from the wall, a small crater behind him. He was panting heavily – Ash knew that he could take only a few more hits before he was out cold.

"Magnum, finish this with Giga Impact," Erika ordered. Her voice was calm and normal, but it rang with power. Ash was sure that this would finish Bunsen. Meganium were pretty intelligent and fast, so even if Bunsen did try to dodge it Magnum could simply chase him around. Unless…

"Bunsen, use Smokescreen!" Ash hollered.

Erika's eyes widened in horror as Bunsen released an obscuring cloud of smoke, making it difficult for the Meganium to see his target. It was too late to call the attack off, and if Magnum couldn't see his target properly he could miss, and it would end badly.

Bunsen jumped out of the way as he saw Magnum, cloaked in a purple veil, heading towards him, and a resounding crash echoed in the gym. Both Ash and Erika knew that Magnum had missed and had crashed against the wall. The smoke cleared, and Magnum was breathing heavily as he looked at the Charmander.

"Bunsen, use Flame Burst!" Ash ordered.

Erika did not bother calling out an attack – instead, she simply allowed the humongous ball of flame to hit Magnum, exploding against his body. Then, to Ash's horror, Magnum disintegrated to a pile of fragments, making everyone in the room except for Erika gasp.

"I…I killed a…But how…?" Ash muttered, utterly confused.

Erika smirked. "Magnum, Body Slam!"

Out of nowhere, a Meganium leapt towards Bunsen, stunning everyone for a second. This window was enough for Magnum to drop on Bunsen with his full body weight, making the fire type groan in pain once Magnum rolled over him.

"What?!" the raven-haired boy exclaimed in shock.

Brock rubbed his chin in deep thought. "Erika is…smart. She simply used a decoy to trick Ash, and then her Meganium surprised everyone and attacked with Body Slam."

"But how is that possible?!" Leaf questioned.

"There can only be one possibility – Substitute," Brock explained. "Magnum left a decoy of himself to trick Bunsen and Ash."

Ash looked at his pokémon – Bunsen was lying on his back, completely exhausted. He was just about to call the match when he saw Bunsen struggling to get up on his feet.

"Bunsen, don't push yourself!" Ash shouted.

"Char!" he replied angrily, shaking his head until he stood upright, however exhausted he was.

Erika shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ash. I will have to hurt your Charmander even more to end this match."

"CHAAAAR!" Bunsen suddenly roared, his voice echoing in the gym for a few seconds while he glared at Magnum. Ash's eyes widened as he saw Bunsen's eyes glowing and his body covered by a blazing aura. The flame on his tail too had grown to a massive size, and he had a menacing look.

Ash grinned. "Blaze just got activated," he uttered.

Erika cursed under her breath. "Magnum, use Energy Ball!" she shouted, clearly frustrated.

"Bunsen, use Smokescreen!"

Bunsen once again let loose a cloud of smoke, but this time it was darker in color and drifted towards Magnum and settled on the flower petals. Without being able to absorb any sunlight through the petals, he couldn't unleash an Energy Ball.

"Now, Bunsen, use Flamethrower!" He practically roared out the command, and Bunsen took a deep breath before letting out a massive stream of flames. The Flamethrower struck Meganium, making him shriek in pain, while the smokescreen on his petals was surprising ignited and set them on fire. Everyone was too stunned to notice this, but Brock, being extremely observant, was reminded of a previous incident.

 _That move again!_ His eyes widened in surprise. _The same thing happened against Damien…_

Magnum wriggled in pain for several moments before the flames died down and he fell to the ground. It was clear that he wasn't moving after that, and the referee declared him as unconscious.

Ash gasped in shock. After so long, he had finally won his fourth Gym Badge. He ran to Bunsen and pulled him into a hug, and it was clear that he was exhausted.

"You were amazing, Bunsen!" Ash exclaimed as he nuzzled his head, being careful to not touch his oversized flame.

Erika then approached him. "I am truly impressed by the strength of the bond between you and your pokémon. For your victory against me, here is the Rainbow Badge," she said, handing out a badge similar in appearance that Ritchie had earned.

"Alright!" he exclaimed as he held it between his index finger and thumb. "We got the Rainbow Badge!"

* * *

"So, what're you going to do next, Ritchie?"

The entire group was sitting at a nearby restaurant chosen by Ritchie, and Ash had to admit that they did serve delicious food. Ash and Ritchie had healed up their pokémon at the Centre, while Brock still couldn't get that nagging thought out of his mind – why Bunsen's Smokescreen was so different that the rest's.

Ritchie swallowed another set of ramen noodles from his bowl. "I'm thinking of going to Celadon City's departmental store to buy TMs for my pokémon. After that…I think I'll head to the Game Corner and check it out."

Ash grinned. "Yeah, it'd be great to win loads of cash there. Hey, why don't we all go there? It'll be fun!"

Misty grimaced. "I don't like to gamble."

Ash frowned. "We're not gambling! It'll be fun!"

She sighed. "Alright, fine," she mumbled. "We'll go there."

"Yes!" Ash whispered in excitement. If he could win a lot of money, then there would be TMs for everyone.

Ash smiled. Now, he just wanted to rest.

* * *

 **So Misty captures Psyduck! There will be a long time till Misty's next capture, and that will be in Seafoam Islands. For those who think that Misty treats Psyduck like shit, don't worry - she'll start loving him, and he will evolve too. For now, she'll just be annoyed with him like in canon.**

 **The Celadon Arc will be for a two more chapters before Ash heads on to Saffron City. The next chapter will be up next week. See ya!  
**

 ** _ash should awake aura and-or psychic power._**

I don't know about psychic powers, but aura will definitely be there.

 ** _Will Ash's Butterfree and Leaf's Butterfree be mates?_**

Yes, they will.

 _ **Why don't they (Butterfree and Pidgeotto) have nicknames?**_

Soz, I was too lazy and I couldn't come up with suitable nicknames.


	19. An Eevee-entful Day!

**Well, here is the latest chapter. I don't think it turned out quite well, since I've been lacking of inspiration these past few days, but I wanted to get this out as soon as I can before I work on the next chapter, which I think will be pretty big (you'll know what it is at the end of this chapter). Anyway, I've got a minor spoiler for you guys! Some, in fact, two pokemon evolve, Ritchie stays for an even longer time to be the supportive-supportive-character and some other things happen. Nevertheless, enjoy! R &R!**

* * *

"Did you know that there's going to be a tournament in Celadon City's Battle Club?"

Ash looked up from his plate full of food and stared at Ritchie, a silly grin on his face and an excited glint in his eyes. "A tournament?" he repeated.

Ritchie nodded with a faint smirk on his face. "And it's happening tomorrow."

Ash's grin widened even further. It had been two days since he and his friends had entered Celadon; Ash had decided to leave immediately after his Gym Battle, but Misty and Leaf wanted to roam around even further, and so he had complied with their requests. But since Ritchie had planted the thought of going to a Battle Club tournament, he could wait for another day.

Ash let out a small yawn before he stabbed his chicken salad viciously. He was quite sure that his could win the tournament, given the intense training they all had undergone the past few days.

"Hey, Ash," Leaf interrupted, waving her hand in front of his face and finally capturing his attention. "There is a commercial on TV for the Battle Club tournament tomorrow," she informed.

Ash furrowed his brow. "Really?" he muttered. He turned to the television screen, attached to the wall for trainers sitting in the cafeteria.

"The Battle Club 'Clubsplosion' tournament, which is being held in Celadon City, will be giving out a very special prize tomorrow!" a disembodied voice announced. "The winner of each tournament tomorrow will receive the exceptional and elusive pokémon, Eevee!"

The bright blue background then turned into a picture of a pokémon that resembled a fox – it had long, pointy ears, brown fur with a cream colored underbelly, beady, brown eyes and a black nose.

"Don't miss the opportunity to win your very own Eevee! Sign up at Celadon City's Battle Club immediately!" The commercial ended, returning back to the Proteam Omega series.

"Wow!" Ash exclaimed, slamming his fist against the table and earning weird looks from few of the trainers seated around the cafeteria. "They're giving away an Eevee! I can't believe it!"

Ritchie got a determined look on his face. "I'm gonna win that tournament and get that Eevee for myself," he uttered with a grin.

Leaf smiled. "An Eevee wouldn't be a bad addition to my pokedex," she said.

Brock rubbed his chin with his forefinger and thumb. "It would be good to groom an Eevee and learn more about pokémon grooming," Brock said to himself.

Ash frowned and drew an irritated look on his face. "Are you kidding me? Is literally everyone going to participate in the tournament?!"

"Of course," Leaf replied immediately. "Eevee are very rare, and the fact that they have an entire slew of evolutions makes them even popular."

Ash then looked at his pokéballs and realized that his pokémon needed to get some more training in before the tournament tomorrow. He knew he and his pokémon needed to get stronger in order to win.

"I'll see you all later," Ash said as he stood up from his chair. "I'm going to be in one of the training rooms of the Centre if you need me."

"Hey, Ash," Ritchie said, stopping the raven-haired boy in his tracks. "Would it be fine if I trained my pokémon with you?"

Ash grinned and gave his friend a thumbs-up. "Sure!"

"It's getting a little late to train, isn't it?" Brock asked.

"We'll be fine."

* * *

"Okay everyone – come on out!"

"Alan, Zippo, Sparky, Happy, let's go!"

Ten scarlet beams of energy shot out of the pokéballs once they snapped open, settling on the ground and materializing the creatures trapped within. Ash and Ritchie grinned at their pokémon, who gave determined stares at their trainers.

Ash looked at each of his pokémon and thought about what areas they could all improve in. It was no doubt that he had a very diverse group of pokémon, which was a good thing, but they all seemed to know few attacks, which hardly added variety to them.

 _What can I do to make my pokémon stronger?_ Ash wondered. _What can we work on?_

Ash sighed and looked down, only to find the answer to his problems.

He grinned as he saw a certain device jutting out from his pocket, and a few seconds later he fished the scarlet pokedex from his pocket. He knew that one could not only learn a pokémon's typing, but also the moves they could learn in the near future, or moves they could be tutored. He could see what moves pokémon knew, and he could even learn about their stats. Although he would never act like Paul, he could use that to know which areas needed to be worked on the most. He could even learn a whole plethora of other information.

"Okay!" He pumped a fist in the air. "Let's get started!"

He first took notice of Butterfree. He already knew that the bug type had an extremely powerful psychic potential, something that normal Butterfree could not learn naturally. However, he knew that Butterfree had absolutely no control over his psychic powers, and could use it only in times of great stress.

Ritchie leaned in closer, trying to take a look at Ash's pokedex. "What does it say?"

Ash scrolled through his pokedex, nodding thoughtfully as he read through the text. "According to this, meditating helps make minds more focused, concentrated, sharper and faster. Lifting heavy things helps make one's mind stronger and provides for more endurance, enabling one to use our psychic powers with greater ease and for longer periods of time without tiring so easily."

"…What?"

Ash sighed. "It means that in order to let Butterfree easily use his psychic powers, he needs to lift heavy things. And that's why—" he pressed a button against a wall, "I'm going to make Butterfree lift these."

Upon pressing the button, several dummies twice the size of Butterfree's body appeared out of nowhere on the tiled floor of the training room. "Okay, Butterfree, I need you to lift all of those at once!" Ash ordered. Butterfree gave a faint nod before turning to the several dummies in front of him, and a moment later his compound eyes glowed blue as he did his best to exert a large amount of his psychic powers. Faint blue outlines surrounded each of the dummies, and they slowly lifted off the ground; Butterfree gave a small sigh of exhaustion. A few seconds later, the dummies dropped down with a loud thud, and Butterfree landed quickly on the ground, sweating profusely.

"I don't think that Butterfree is exactly that experienced to lift so many things at once," Ritchie commented as he sweat-dropped.

Ash simply nodded in response. He was about to call his pokémon back, but Butterfree simply refused and once again began to try to lift the dummies.

Ash smiled at the determination of his pokémon, and he decided that he should head over to the rest of his pokémon, who were sitting idly on the ground while Ritchie sent his Butterfree to train alongside Ash's.

Ash and Ritchie spent the next two hours training their pokémon for various things. Ash and Ritchie had their pokémon sharing moves and teaching others attacks that they could learn. Zippo had taught Bunsen Fire Punch, an attack that took up most of their time while training. However, in the end, Bunsen had perfected it and could easily use the attack whenever he wanted.

Ash's Pikachu had taught Ritchie's Pikachu – Sparky – Iron Tail, an attack that a Pikachu could learn only with the help of a TM. The two had kept on slamming their steel-hard tails against dummies until their time was up.

Krabby and Alan the Sandshrew had also spent a lot of time together, sharing tactics while they continued to slash at objects with their claws. Alan had taught Krabby Fury Cutter, and the river crab pokémon had mastered the attack in a matter of seconds, while Krabby had returned the favor by teaching the mouse pokémon Metal Claw.

Then Amethyst had done something unexpected – with the help of Froakie, she had learned Water Pulse, although she hadn't quite mastered it. Although it would take quite some time for her to get the better of it, Ash was still happy for her.

After the training was done, Ash gave all of his pokémon a hug rather than a pat on the back. He then returned his pokémon inside their pokéballs, except for Amethyst, who had taken the liberty of perching on Ash's shoulder.

"It's getting pretty late now. We should probably get back to bed," Ash told Ritchie.

The auburn-haired boy nodded. "Yeah. I don't want to oversleep and miss my chance to get an Eevee tomorrow," he replied with a cheeky grin, and Ash lightly jabbed his friend's shoulder, earning an emphatic 'Ow' and a wounded look.

* * *

It was the next day, and the group was now standing in front of the Celadon City Battle Club. There was quite a large crowd, and Ash could identify a few trainers that he had taken a glimpse of back in the Pokémon Centre. _Looks like a lot of people have come here in order to win that Eevee,_ Ash mused, smirking as he took a step forward towards the entrance of the magnificent structure. Ash turned his head back, looking at the numerous people standing behind him. With the long line, it would certainly take a while to get in.

"I can't believe that there are so many people entering this thing!" Leaf exclaimed in surprise.

Ash smiled as he reached what seemed like a booth, and he quickly registered himself for the Battle Club tournament. Apparently there were spots left only for five more people, and so it was lucky that everyone (except for Misty) was able to register themselves.

But as soon as they entered the main area of the Battle Club, they learned that there was an even larger crowd, making it impossible for anyone to move. Ash let out a sigh. This was going to take a while.

* * *

Ash sat down in his spot, Don George taking the stage and announcing the commencement of the Clubsplosion tournament and causing roars of approval to erupt from the audience. The host had informed that there would be five rounds taking place, with a total of thirty-two participants. The winner would receive, along with an Eevee, 1000 pokédollars and four of the newest Devon Corporation products – Luxury-balls.

Ash just wanted to win. The thought of receiving an Eevee on his team would be delightful.

"The first match will be between Ash Ketchum and Leaf Rose!" Don George announced.

Ash gulped as he heard his name, but a sliver of ice ran down his spine as he heard the name of his opponent. Ash turned his head to his left and stared at Leaf, who was staring back at Ash with a serious face. Without saying anything to each other, the two trainers walked up to their respective trainer boxes and began to face each other in their pokémon battle.

Ash looked up at the LED screen to see his Leaf's picture blinking, indicating that she would have the first choice of pokémon. Ash heaved a sigh of relief; he was absolutely sure that Leaf would choose Venus, although if she chose one of her other pokémon he would get a slight advantage to think about his own choice.

"Raticate, I choose you!" Leaf called out, much to Ash's surprise. The ferocious rodent burst out of the pokeball and bared his fangs at Ash.

Ash unclipped a pokeball of his own and tossed it in the air. "Pikachu, go!"

"This will be a one-on-one battle, and there will be no time limit during this battle. Begin!" the referee announced.

"Raticate, use Quick Attack!" Leaf ordered.

"Pikachu, use your Quick Attack too!" Ash commanded.

Pikachu and Raticate disappeared in the blink of an eye, making themselves noticeable only due to the trail of white energy they were leaving behind. The two crashed head-on, knocking each other back in pain.

"Quick, Raticate!" Leaf shouted. "Bite that Pikachu!"

"Pikachu, stop him in his tracks with Thunderbolt!"

Raticate bared his fangs, which were shining brightly and growing an inch longer, before he scurried towards Pikachu and opened his mouth wide open. Right before he was about to dig his teeth into Pikachu's body, the mouse pokémon electrocuted his opponent with a swift Thunderbolt; Raticate was thrown back due to the force and crashed against the ground.

"Pikachu, use Wild Charge!" Ash commanded.

Leaf gritted her teeth. "Raticate, use Sucker Punch! After that, use Crunch!"

Pikachu charged up his body with electricity, but not before Raticate appeared in front of him as a blur and smashed his tail against Pikachu's head, stunning him for a few moments, long enough for Raticate to bring down his enlarged teeth on his neck. The electric type flinched from the pain. That bite was sure to leave a mark…

"Pikachu!" Ash cried out in worry. "Okay, use Thunderbolt!"

Raticate shrieked in pain as the electricity unleashed from Pikachu's body engulfed him too, and the normal type twitched as Pikachu continued to stun and shock him with powerful jolts of electricity. Eventually, it was too much for Raticate, and the rodent fell down to the ground, utterly defeated.

"Raticate is unable to battle. The winner is Pikachu!" the referee declared.

"I guess I have to train my pokémon harder," Leaf muttered sadly as she returned Raticate to his pokeball. She then gave the sphere a smile before clipping it to her belt.

"Congratulations, Ash," Leaf said as she held out a hand. "Although I'm sad I didn't win the battle, I'm happy that you did!"

"Thanks, Leaf!" Ash replied with glee.

* * *

The next two battles with Ash had gone by, and he had won them both. He used his Butterfree in the second round against a Nidorina, wherein he easily defeated his opponent with continuous uses of Psybeam and Psychic, while the latter wasn't exactly perfect. Ash made a mental note to work on Butterfree's psychic powers.

He then used Krabby, where he soundly thrashed a Machop, rather than the other way round. Ash was rather pleased with the quick outcomes of the battles; his pokémon certainly weren't pushovers in battle.

Ash had carefully observed the other competitor's battles, particularly Ritchie's and Brock's. Ritchie had relied only on Zippo, since he had used him for three consecutive battles. Ash was sure that Zippo would be too tired to take part in the semifinals, and so Ritchie had to resort to one of his weaker pokémon. Brock was an excellent battler – he had used Onix and Zubat, who had won their battles with taking no hits at all.

"And now, for our first battle in the semifinal round, we shall have Ritchie Hiroshi and Ash Ketchum!" Don George announced, shaking Ash from his thoughts. It took a moment for him to register his opponent, and he grinned as he saw Ritchie's familiar face on the screen.

Ash and Ritchie got up from their seats in synchronization – they had both been shocked when their names were called out, but both were eager to face each other – and they continued to grin at each other until they arrived at their respective trainer boxes.

Ash nodded at Ritchie as they sent out their pokémon. The Sableye and Sandshrew materialized on the floor, taking battle stances and staring hard at each other.

"Begin!" the referee declared.

"Dig!" Ritchie ordered a split-second later. Alan the Sandshrew quickly swiped at the ground, pulling the soil away from the ground and hurling in the air. Seconds later Alan had disappeared inside the long, underground tunnel he had created.

"Amethyst, you know what to do," Ash whispered to his pokémon, who gave a short nod before focusing back on the field.

Ritchie grinned as the ground beneath the Sableye began to rumble slightly, but his happy expression faltered as he saw Amethyst vanish from her spot, Alan rocketing from under the ground and hitting nothing but air. It took a moment for him to realize that Ash's Sableye knew Teleport – a move that no one of her kind could use.

"Shadow Claw!" Ash ordered. Amethyst's eyes flashed as a purple aura surrounded her left arm, which was enlarged and formed a gigantic claw. Amethyst swiped Alan with her claws in midair, and the Sandshrew was thrown back to the ground.

"Alan, Magnitude!"

The mouse pokémon jumped into the air before slamming down onto the hard ground. Everyone on the field could feel the shockwaves, but Amethyst felt them the most. She swayed back and forth as she tried to keep her balance. The continuous shockwaves of energy flowed up her body, and he stomach clenched as she felt sudden pain taking over her a few seconds after the magnitude occurred.

"Amethyst, snap out of it!" Ash cried out.

Ritchie smirked. "Now use Rollout!"

Alan curled into a ball and rolled to a pained Amethyst at high speed. Before she knew what hit her, Alan slammed into her torso, sending her soaring through the air before she crashed onto the ground on her back. Before she could even recover, Ritchie's Sandshrew slammed into her once again.

"Alan, attack with Fury Cutter!"

"Amethyst, try Fake Out!"

Alan's claws glowed in the shade of lime green, but before he could slash her with his claws Amethyst clapped her hands an inch away from him, in the fashion of a thunderclap, and startled the pokémon for a few moments. This time period was long enough for Ash to call out his next command, and Amethyst shot black beams of alien energy from her eyes that struck Alan on his face and sent him tumbling back.

"Alan, Sand Attack!" Ritchie called out. Alan swept his tail on the ground, hurtling particles of sand that settled on Amethyst's eyes and blinded her.

"Now use Poison Sting!" Ritchie hollered.

Ash gritted his teeth as Alan stabbed Amethyst with his tail, which's end was glowing a bright purple. Amethyst winced in pain from the poison – it was quickly taking effect and it would be only a matter of time before she was out.

"Alan, finish this with Rollout!"

"Amethyst, counter with Sucker Punch!"

Amethyst blinked her eyes repeatedly, dusting off the sand particles that had collected on her eyes. Then, with a last blink, she sped up towards Alan and swept him off the ground, making him land on the ground on his back. The Sandshrew grunted in pain and rolled to his left, trying to recover by the sneaky attack.

"Now, Amethyst, use Brick Break!" Ash ordered.

Ritchie's eyes widened. "Alan, get out of the way!"

It was too late for that; Amethyst had already delivered a swift chop to Alan's abdomen, knocking the wind out of her opponent. Alan grunted in pain for the last time before he relaxed and went unconscious.

"Sandshrew is unable to battle. Therefore, Sableye is the winner!" the referee declared.

Ritchie looked absolutely stunned as he returned his Sandshrew. Ash just grinned at him and waved before walking over to Amethyst.

The Sableye's torso had a patch of blue, hurt from the barrage of attacks delivered to her abdomen, but Ash wasn't particularly worried. Pokémon were stronger, tougher and healed faster than any human being, and Amethyst was no exception. With a final say of thanks, he recalled her and walked back to his seat.

* * *

Ash and Brock were now facing each other on opposite sides of the battlefield. Each one was just as determined as the other to win. Ash had been nervous at first, given that he would be facing a Gym Leader in the finals.

Ash was thinking about the pokémon he could use against Brock. He had stuck to Onix and Zubat for the previous matches. That meant that he would no doubt be using Geodude for the final round. That immediately took out Butterfree, Pikachu and Bunsen, considering the fact that they were weak to either rock type or ground type attacks. That left only Krabby, Amethyst and Froakie. Krabby and Amethyst had already participated in battles today, and so they would be most likely worn out. That left only Froakie.

"This will be a one-on-one battle between Ash Ketchum and Brock Harrison! There will be no time limit, and the match will be declared over once either battler is unable to battle, or if one side has surrendered. Begin!"

Much to Ash's suspicions, Brock had called out his Geodude, who materialized on the floor and gave the same, deadpan expression. Ash had called out Froakie, who squatted on the ground before standing upright and glaring at his opponent.

"Start off with Rock Polish, Geodude!" Brock ordered. The rock pokémon shined brightly for a few seconds, and once the glow died down he appeared to be smoother and sharper, enabling him to move faster than before.

"Froakie, use Water Pulse!" Ash commanded.

"Geodude, dodge it and use Rollout!" Brock ordered.

Geodude swiftly bounced to his left, evading the sphere of water that was shot towards him. Geodude then tucked in his arms and rushed at Froakie with blinding speed, slamming into the bubble frog pokémon and sending him soaring through the air.

"Now use Mega Punch!"

Geodude jumped in the air after Froakie and delivered a solid punch into Froakie's face, sending the water type in a horizontal beeline. He soon finally slowed down and landed with a thud.

"That was great, Geodude!" Brock praised with a thumbs-up.

"Duuuude," Geodude responded in a baritone voice, turning to face Brock with a smile.

"Come on, Froakie! You can do it! Try shooting multiple Water Pulses!"

Froakie slowly rose to his feet and began blasting several spheres of water at Geodude. The rock pokémon began to jump and roll out of the way of as many petals as he could. However, he was still drenched by a few of them, due to the amount, but that didn't let his concentration waver. He still had plenty of fight in him.

"Rock Throw, Geodude," Brock commanded.

Geodude then conjured vast amounts of rocks out of thin air and mystically hurled them at Froakie. The bubble frog pokémon was doing his best to dodge the rocks, but it was only a matter of time before he was pinned to the ground by few.

"Froakie really has his hands full," Misty commented from the sidelines. "Despite the type disadvantage, Geodude is putting up quite a show."

 _Come on, Ash,_ Leaf thought as she clenched her teeth. _You can win this…_

"Geodude, wrap this up with Rollout!"

Ash balled his fists. "Froakie, I know you can do it! Try another Water Pulse!"

Froakie mustered all the strength within him to spit another Water Pulse at Geodude, but it was so feeble that Geodude simply tore through the pulsing blast of water and crashed into Froakie. The water type cried out in pain as he fell to the ground, struggling to get up.

"It's over, Ash," Brock said, a sad smile on his face. "Return your Froakie before it's too late."

Froakie grimaced at the pain he felt from Brock's words. Why couldn't he battle, especially if it was against a measly Geodude? He couldn't be frail. He wanted to show the world what he could do. He wasn't going to give up so easily. With a final grunt of pain, he stood up and used the rest of the energy inside him for something entirely different.

Froakie began to glow brightly.

Ash blinked in surprise. "Froakie is…evolving?!"

"Wait! That's not all!" Ash turned around to see Leaf pointing at Geodude. "Look at Geodude!"

It was then that everyone turned their attention towards Geodude, who too was glowing brightly. "Geodude…" Brock muttered in awe as he saw his pokémon evolving for him.

Froakie then stopped glowing, and he sent off a wave of energy that kicked up dust that surrounded him. The figure that took his place was a dark-blue, bipedal, frog-like pokémon with a light blue underside. Unlike Froakie, the creature tended to stand on his two hind legs rather than on all fours. His eyes were the same as those as a Froakie, and he still had the white bubble scarf, although this one was longer and slightly thicker. He had dark blue hands and toes and white, circular fingers. The pokémon greeted Ash with a "Gadier!" and glared at the newly evolved Geodude, who looked strikingly similar to Brock's other Graveler.

"Who's that pokémon?" Ash asked, and Leaf's pokedex answered that question for him.

" **Frogadier, the bubble frog pokémon, is a water type pokémon and the evolved form of Froakie,** " Leaf's pokedex informed. " **It can throw bubble-covered pebbles with precise control, hitting an empty can up to thirty meters away. This Frogadier is a male.** "

"Awesome," Ash muttered with glee.

"Things just got interesting," Brock uttered.

"I'm really excited now!" Ash exclaimed. "Frogadier, let's take this Graveler down!"

Frogadier grinned. "Fro!"

"Graveler, use Rock Throw!" Brock commanded.

"Frogadier, dodge each and every one of them!" Ash shouted.

"Fro!" Ash watched in awe as Frogadier disappeared in a flash, dodging each and every rock thrown at him. Then, without warning, he leapt into the air and blasted a sphere of water, which exploded against Graveler and stunned him for a few seconds.

Brock gritted his teeth. "Rock Throw, again!"

Ash scanned Frogadier with his pokedex, doing his best to learn the moves Frogadier currently knew. "Okay, use…um…Double Team!"

Once again, in the blink of an eye, Frogadier started to run around Graveler, picking up speed as he continued to do so. It almost looked like a hundred Frogadier were running around Graveler, until a second later Frogadier jumped into the air, taking his several copies with him. The copies confused Graveler long enough for him to hit every Frogadier except for the real one, and Frogadier blasted Graveler once again with Water Pulse.

Graveler staggered in pain before he looked up and glared at Froakie. "Graveler, use Bulldoze!" Brock hollered. With a loud grunt, the Graveler leapt a few feet off the ground before slamming back down extremely hard. The shockwave of energy was strong enough to make the ground ripple like a whipped carpet, and a wave of rocks were flung at Frogadier. As quick as he was, the bubble frog was still unable to keep standing, and he fell down without any warning.

"Frogadier is unable to battle! Graveler wins! The winner of today's Battle Club 'Clubsplosion' tournament is Brock Harrison of Pewter City!"

"Whoo!" the hormonal teen shouted, jumping in victory before he ran to his newly evolve Graveler. He made the mistake of hugging his pokémon's rugged and rough body, but he was nevertheless happy for his pokémon and himself.

Ash, on the other hand, walked over to Frogadier and lifted him off the ground, giving his pokémon a bright smile. "It's okay if you didn't win, Frogadier. I'm still happy for you! You evolved!" Ash exclaimed, and Frogadier weakly smiled. Ash then recalled Frogadier and walked up to Brock.

"You did great, Brock. It looks like I have a lot of work to do to catch up," he said as he extended a hand.

"Don't worry, Ash. One day, you will reach levels higher than anyone had ever reached," Brock reassured, and he patted the younger male on his back.

* * *

"…And here is the Eevee, just as we promised!" Don George exclaimed, handing over a pokeball to Brock, who gratefully accepted it. "Once again, let's give a round of applause to Brock Harrison!" he shouted, earning roars of excitement and echoes of hands clapping.

"Thanks, Don George!" Brock replied with a blush. Brock then decided to let out his new pokémon and get acquainted with him/her. "Come out, Eevee!"

The Eevee burst out from the pokeball and looked at Brock with her curious eyes. Then, with a bright smile, she tackled her trainer to the ground, in a playful manner of course.

"Well, it looks like you two are already hitting it off," Misty said with a nervous smile.

"Heheheh, yeah," Brock muttered, trying his best to ignore the pain on his backside while Eevee nuzzled against his chest.

* * *

About ten minutes later, the group was roaming the streets of Celadon, taking in the sights with smiles on their faces.

"I guess this is a really good day," Brock said as he put his hands behind his head. "I got an Eevee, my Geodude evolved and so did Froakie!"

Ash grinned back. "Yeah, that's for—" Ash went pale and he stopped in his tracks, unable to comprehend what he'd just seen.

Leaf looked confused and put a hand on Ash's shoulder. "What happened, Ash?"

Ash said nothing but pointed straight in front of him. The group turned towards what Ash was pointing at, and what they saw literally made their hearts skip a beat.

There was a Rocket grunt entering the Game Corner from the back door.

* * *

 **Okay, cliffhanger!**

 **I think that was an appropriate way to end the chapter. Now I think a few of you guys might say "Mr. Warsofshadows, why didn't anyone else notice the Rocket Grunt?". Well, they didn't notice him for plot's sake. And also because I was very lazy, I have to admit.**

 **The reason I wanted Froakie to evolve so soon was because I had no other way for him to evolve. It's going to be a long time before he evolves again, this time into Greninja (yes, there will be Ash-Greninja) so don't worry.**

 **I also had my reasons for not giving Ash an Eevee. One was because that cute little creature is damn overused, and I've seen too many places where Ash gets an Eevee here and there. Also, I think Brock would be a better person to take care of Eevee because he's aspiring to become a pokemon breeded.**

 **Q &A TIME!**

 ** _Will leaf get a sentret before jotho?_**

...I don't think so.

 ** _WILL ASH AND LEAF CATCH MORE POKEMON THAT WILL END UP BEING MATES._**

Possibly.

 ** _Will Ash get any game corner Pokemon?_**

Nope.

 ** _Will Ash take down the Team Rocket HQ in the Celadon Game Corner like in the video games?_**

Yes he will.

 ** _Will he (Ash) and Giovanni have aura? If so, will they have a huge aura battle?_**

Yes for Ash, but I'm not going to tell anything about Giovanni.

 ** _Silver be in it? if so, I have ideas about his abilities/weapons/personality._**

Yes, Silver will be in this fic, but he won't appear before Johto.

 ** _Will Ash, Ritchie, Paul, and Gary be the final four inthe Pokemon League? If so, will Ash win?_**

I don't plan on revealing anything about the Indigo League, mainly because saying anything will provide MAJOR spoilers. I've already planned out the whole thing, actually.


	20. The Rocket Hideout

**How long has it been? More than a month?!**

 **I'm reaaaaly sorry for the wait, exams, you know? That and I was extremely busy over the past month with church activities.**

 **In any case, here's chapter 20! I could've done better, but I couldn't think of anything; also I've been reading a lot of _Traveler_ and so I got addicted into writing that way. It is in no way similar to The Straight Elf's work, so enjoy!**

 **So, as to the new 'batch' of of pokemon officially revealed, I must say that my favourite is _Salandit_ , followed by _Vikavolt_. _Salandit_ 's typing was amazing, being a fire/poison type (I so wanted one), plus it's ability, _Corrosion_ , is really unique. At first I thought that _Vikavolt_ was a steel type _eeveelution_ , but after reading the name a few more times my hopes were crushed. _Vikavolt_ 's design is really sleek and beautiful, while _Salandit_ resembles a drugged _Sandile_ for me. Go figure.**

 **I didn't really like the concept of Alola forms. I mean, sure, they're interesting, but I feel that Pokemon's just running out of idea's with Z-moves and all that crap. Oh, well. Not everything can be perfect.**

 **Well, that's enough of me. See ya at the end of the chapter!**

* * *

"Oh, shit."

Ash slapped his forehead, trying to reimagine what he had just seen right now. His skin was pale and cold; memories of an exploding ship, a wounded Leaf and a piece of shrapnel stabbing his shoulder rushed through his mind.

"We need to call the cops."

Ash turned and looked at Leaf, mouth slightly open and eyes as wide as saucers. "Are you kidding? The police station is at the other side of the city! It'll take at least forty-five minutes to reach there!" he shouted. "Who knows what Team Rocket can do to those people inside the Game Corner?"

Leaf pursed her lips. "What do you suggest then?"

Ash punched the palm of his other hand. "I say we go in."

"Say what?!" the others said collectively.

Ash nodded. "Yes."

"That's crazy, Ash!" Brock yelled. "This isn't some minor run-in with a few Rockets. You're thinking of taking down an entire organization!"

"I don't care," Ash whispered in a dangerously soft voice, sending a shiver down everyone's spine. Ash had never sounded so…aggressive in his entire life. He balled his fists and his nails dug into his palm, drops of blood trickling down slowly.

"Okay, Ash." He turned to see Ritchie looking at him, a serious expression on his face and a hand on his friends shoulder. "I'll go with you. I don't believe that you can take them all down, right?" he said with a weak grin.

Misty nodded. "Okay, I don't mind the idea of splitting up," she said, and then she quickly added: "I'll go to the cops and inform them."

Ash rolled his eyes at that, but he quickly regained his posture. "Okay. Ritchie and I'll go to the Game Corner, while you three go to the police station."

Leaf looked like she was about to say something, but then she reluctantly nodded. "Fine," she grumbled, looking directly at Ash. A second later her gaze softened, and it seemed like she was about to cry. "Just…stay safe, Ash."

He nodded in response. Ritchie, however, had an annoyed expression and he exclaimed, "Hey, why isn't anyone wishing for my safety, huh?"

* * *

"I think this is it," Ash said, pointing at a door in the color of the wall, as if to blend in, a few feet in front of him.

Ritchie nodded and immediately turned the knob, only to find out that it was locked. "What? Are you kidding me?" Looking at Ash's inquisitive look, he explained in a whisper, "It's locked!"

Ash groaned in disappointment, his eyes roving around to look for any clue. "There," he said, pointing at a device planted right next to the door. "It looks like some sort of scanner…Great," he grumbled. "It's a fingerprint scanner. We can't get in."

"That isn't a problem," Ritchie said. "We can have our pokémon knock the door down."

"Right," Ash agreed.

They then released all the pokémon that could help break down the door. Ash sent forth Amethyst, Bunsen and Krabby, while Ritchie sent out Zippo, Sparky and Alan. With the help of their brute force, the rammed into the door with all their might and burst it open.

The door landed on the ground with a crash that echoed inside the vacant room inside. The room they were in had a few tables, chairs and potted plants in the corners. There were a few doors to the side, a staircase that led them down and an elevator, which they presumed would lead them to the lower levels.

"Let's take the elevator," Ritchie suggested. "There's no point in taking down all the Rockets to just reach the boss."

The group was just about to head for the elevator when they heard footsteps running down the stairs. It seemed like they had been heard after all when they broke in!

They hurriedly ran through one of the nearby doors and discovered it was a janitor's closet. They all managed to get in the room and close the door just as the footsteps made it to the room.

"What the heck?! What was that awful crashing noise down here!? I could have sworn I heard something!" one of the voices, a man, spoke.

"Look at that!" another voice exclaimed. "The door has been busted down! Someone unwanted must be in here! We have an intruder!"

The duo gave nervous glances at each other once the supposed Rocket member said that. It seems things just got a whole lot worse now that they've been found out. They would have to be extra careful now that Team Rocket knew that they were here.

"We need to inform Executive Proton as fast as we can! Shut down the elevator! Our little rat will be found. If they want to play around in this building, they are going to have to go through all of us first!" one of the voices said to the other.

"Roger!" the other one agreed.

The group then listened for them to leave the room. They heard the elevator ding and the footsteps enter. The elevator closed, and then there was silence.

The group quietly opened the door to the janitor's closet and entered back into the lobby, panting heavily.

"Great," Ritchie muttered. "Now we can't even take the elevator. We really screwed up."

"Let's just get down the stairs," Ash replied.

Ritchie groaned in frustration, but nevertheless he complied. The Rockets were right. The elevator was shut down, and no one could use it now. If they had to destroy the Rockets, they had to be very careful.

They cautiously crept down the stairs. It was a rather long flight, and Ash made sure to hold a pokeball in each hand in case all hell broke loose.

It was then that Ash found the end of the stairs, and his heart beat faster and faster as he entered the new room. This one was far more elegant than the one he had previously encountered, more like an office than anything else.

"There! We've found the intruder!" Ash heard from his left, and he turned to see two men in Rocket uniforms glaring angrily at him. They didn't have weapons, but they did have one pokeball each. With no time to lose, Ash and Ritchie sent forth their pokémon –Pikachu from Ash's side and Happy from Ritchie's.

The second man growled. "Return your pokémon, kid, if you don't want to hurt yourself."

"Never," Ash said hatefully, giving a steely glare to the Rockets.

"Looks like we got ourselves a hero," the other Rocket said.

"Pikachu, paralyze them!" Ash commanded.

The Rockets retaliated by sending pokémon of their own – a Murkrow and a Grimer. Ash and Ritchie eyed the pokémon, turned to one another, and after looking at each other it was all over.

The two Rockets expected many things from the two twelve-year-olds; laughter was not one of them.

"Oh my god!" Ash cried out, cackling madly while Ritchie stifled chuckles. The Rocket Agents stood there, once more befuddled; this was not how things were supposed to go. "A dark type _and_ a poison type? Could you get any more stereotypical?!"

"You arrogant little bastards!" a Rocket roared. "Grimer, use Sludge!"

Ritchie sidestepped and crouched, nearly being hit by a spray of thick, viscous sludge that was headed his way. He stopped laughing and glared at the Rockets before shouting, "Happy, keep using Psybeam on the Grimer!"

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Murkrow!" Ash ordered.

The Rockets clearly hadn't trained their pokémon well enough – they seemed to be frantic, and their commands were slow. Murkrow was simply dodging bolts of electricity in the air until one struck her, electrocuting the avian before she fell to the ground with a thud.

Grimer was unable to do anything but look dumbly at Happy, who continued to fire multicolored beams of psychic energy from his compound-eyes that kept blasting the Grimer back. Eventually, it was too much for the living sludge and he was completely out cold.

The Rocket Grunts looked at each other in panic, slowly backing away in fear from the two twelve year olds. "Pikachu, Thunder Wave!" Ash ordered, wanting them to be paralyzed and unable to do anything when they continued to infiltrate the Team Rocket Base.

Pikachu smirked evilly as he shot weak jolts of electricity from either pouch on his cheeks, and the Grunts shrieked in pain and gasped madly for breath as the electricity started to take effect on their body. Soon, they were lying on the floor, finding pain whenever they tried to move even the tiniest of muscles.

"We better put them to sleep and hide them somewhere," Ritchie told Ash, who nodded in agreement. "Happy, put them to sleep."

The Butterfree nodded and started to flap his wings, releasing grey spores that floated towards the Rockets' bodies and finally settled on them. Their eyes started to grow heavy, trying their best to curse at the duo but in a moment they were fast asleep.

"Come on," Ash said, "let's go."

* * *

"Hello, how can we help you?" a bored Officer Jenny said as Brock, Misty and Leaf entered the police station.

"Oh, Officer Jenny, you are the love of myEEEOOOW!" Brock squealed as Misty pinched his ears and tugged him away.

Officer Jenny shook her head and ignored what happened. "Yes, how can we help you?" she asked once again.

"There's a Team Rocket base hidden in the Game Corner," Leaf explained.

Officer Jenny deadpanned. A few seconds later, she demanded in an angry tone, "Is this some sort of sick joke?"

Leaf frowned. "No! My friends and I were walking along Celadon City and we saw a Team Rocket member entering the Game Corner through the back door. Then…we decided to…inform you all about—"

Officer Jenny stopped her with a hand. "Okay. A team will be sent there immediately. But if it turns out to be false…" She growled, and Leaf whimpered before giving a nod.

* * *

Okay, there are four Rockets in that room." Ash spoke in such a soft whisper that he had to repeat it twice for Ritchie to hear what he said. The raven-haired boy then looked at his Pikachu. "Pikachu, you know what to do."

Pikachu nodded. A second later he jumped up in the air, entering the vision of the four Rockets and surprising them by his entrance. Electricity sparked dangerously around his cheeks, and he let loose four, weak bolts of electricity.

" _Chu_!"

Down went four members, and Pikachu let out a satisfied noise before Ash and Ritchie came out, Happy hovering next to his trainer.

"Sleep Powder." Happy didn't need telling; he immediately set on shooting spores that quickly took effect on the grunts. The overwhelming power of the spores crushed their wills and forced them to sleep.

Happy then set off to tie up the grunts with his strong silk, not wanting any of them to surprise his trainer, even though it would be a long time before they woke up or before they healed from the paralysis.

When that was over, they moved on. They quietly left the room and shut the door, leading them to a long hall way. Pikachu was scouting for any Rockets that were searching for them, but there was no one. Soon enough, they found a door at the end of the hallway that led them to the next room.

The room contained two grunts, one sleeping while the other one was on the computer. Not knowing that they had intruders, they were quickly brought to the floor with a Thunder Wave from Pikachu.

"What…the hell…?" a grunt managed to say, clearly surprised by what had happened to him. Ash said nothing. He simply glared at him before he was out cold by Happy's Sleep Powder.

Ritchie frowned. "This is too easy."

Ash nodded. "I know. Team Rocket is supposed to be feared all over Kanto, and this almost disappoints me," he said.

"Maybe this is just a minor base of theirs," Ritchie mused as they traversed through yet another room. This one was empty – it had no Rockets at all. The only thing that was present was a table in the middle.

They took many turns, travelling deeper and deeper under Celadon City. The duo continued to take down as many Rockets as they could – some were just taken by surprise and put to sleep, while the others were defeated by Pikachu and Happy.

"Happy, use Sleep Powder!" Ritchie commanded, the Butterfree putting the opponent pokémon and the Rockets to sleep with a single flap of his wings. Ritchie turned to Ash. "How much longer is this going to take?"

Ash shrugged and turned to walk further down the base. They found the next door, and after walking along a rather short hallway they came across the next room, which they hoped contained the boss.

"Gotcha!" Ash's eyes widened as a powerful jab caught him off-guard, knocking the wind out of him. He doubled over, kneeling on the floor as he supported himself against the wall. He looked up, noticing a Rocket with an amused expression on his face. The Rocket then growled before punching Ash across his face and throwing him to the ground.

His face stung as he fell on the floor, and he struggled to see around five Rocket Grunts surrounding Ritchie. Blood leaked out of his mouth and onto the floor, and Ash struggled to get up with all the strength left in him.

"Pi…Pikachu, Th-Thundershock!" Ash managed to command, and the rodent let out a cry of anger before letting loose several bolts of electricity that managed to hit all the Rockets, since Ash and Ritchie had the common sense to duck down and evade the powerful electricity. The Grunts fell to the floor, steam rising from their body, and Ash was sure that they were dead.

Now all that were left were their pokémon – three Ekans, a Grimer, a Zubat and a Raticate. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on Zubat!" He unclipped another pokeball and tossed it in the air. "Frogadier, I need you!"

The bubble frog pokémon burst out of the pokeball, and upon learning of the situation he started to charge towards the Raticate. The Zubat was quickly knocked out – all it took was one hit – while Ritchie's Butterfree was trying his best to fight against the three Ekans who were ganging up against him.

"Alan, Rollout!" Ritchie shouted as he tossed a sphere, and the Sandshrew immediately curled up into a ball and crashed against an Ekans, knocking her out. Happy continued to stun them with Psybeam, and they fell down once they took more than they could handle.

After giving a last, sorrowful look to the dead Rockets, Ash turned to Ritchie. "Let's go."

* * *

Ash and Ritchie soon grew tired of battling numerous Rockets around the base. After finally deciding, they reluctantly wore the uniforms of some unconscious Rockets, and although they were quite big for them it disguised them perfectly. Happy had done the service of cocooning the Rockets with his silk, and then they set off further.

They finally came to a rather large hallway that led them to another room; the only difference was that there was no door separating them. Instead, there were two guards guarding an entrance to another room that looked like a person's office.

"What're you two doing here?" a man, with green hair, asked.

"Um…" Ash shifted nervously in his spot. "We are here to…"

"Meet the boss!" Ritchie finished, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

The other Rocket, with golden hair, frowned. "The Boss?" she repeated, eyeing the two suspiciously.

Sweat trickled down Ash's face. "Uh, what he means is that we're here to meet the boss of this base, heheheh…"

"Yeah, we're here to deliver him a special package directly from the boss," Ritchie added.

The man frowned before letting out a sigh. "Okay, then. I don't know why the boss would let you two kiddos handle a package so precious, but you can go."

The man pressed a button behind him, and the door slid open.

Ash and Ritchie heaved a sigh of relief as they stepped into the large office. It was pristine and much better than the other places they had been in in the base. A mahogany table was present, and a person was sitting on a large chair behind the table.

The chair whirled around to reveal a man with green hair and a permanent scowl on his face. He wore quite a different Team Rocket uniform and a cap on his head. "What is it, you two? What news do you have for me?"

Ash turned to Ritchie and nodded. "This is the news!" the shouted in unison as they sent forth a Frogadier and Charmeleon. A stream of flames was spewed at him, and the man ducked just in time to avoid the fire.

"What the hell is the meaning of this?!" he roared at the two in rage. "Who are you two?"

Ash and Ritchie glared at him as they took off the caps covering their faces. The man growled at them in anger. "Okay, we've never recruited kids in Team Rocket. Who the hell are you?!"

"We're just two kids from Pallet town who are about to kick a whole lot of butt!" Ash exclaimed, grinning as he said so. "Who are _you_?!"

The man smirked. "Me? I am Executive Proton, the most powerful of the four pillars of Team Rocket! And what're you kids going to do? Stop me?"

"Exactly!" Ritchie agreed. "What do you intend to do with taking over the Game Corner anyway?"

Proton smirk grew even wider. "We aren't taking over the Game Corner…This piece of thrash belongs to us! It's part of our source of income! We've opened it up to earn some more money from these stupid gamblers. We've even rigged the machines so that they won't let anyone receive the grand prize…Heheheh…"

Ash growled. "Anyway, the police are going to be here any minute, so there's no point in doing anything," he said.

Proton snorted. "Do you really think that I'm going to – what is the phrase – _come quietly_? I'm afraid that I'm not going to come quietly at all, kiddos." Ash noticed the pokeball in his hand, and his eyes widened. "You've got it all wrong! Koffing, use Poison Gas!"

Ash and Ritchie ducked down in fear as the Koffing discharged a cloud of poisonous gas at them, finally diffusing in the air after a few moments. Ash covered his mouth with his tee, and he looked up to see Proton sneering at them.

He had already set off for another command. "Koffing, use Sludge!"

Ash dived out of the way as unsanitary sludge was sprayed at him, and he crashed against a potted plant that sent him in a dazed state for a few seconds before he recovered. _These guys are fighting to kill!_

"Frogadier, use Water Pulse!" Ash commanded.

"Zippo, use Flamethrower!" Ritchie shouted.

Koffing groaned in pain as he was struck by the pulse of water, and he cried out once again as he was seared by the numerous flames spewed on him by Zippo. That was all it took to knock Koffing out, and the poison gas pokémon deflated like a balloon and settled on the floor.

"Shit!" Proton exclaimed, unclipping another pokeball as he did so. "Should've taken my stronger team here…these bastards can't do anything…"

The pokémon that came out of the pokeball was a Parasect – a creature than was taken over by the living mushroom on its back. The Parasect clicked her claws as she stared at her opponents with her dull, empty eyes.

"I suppose you're going to finish my Parasect with one Flamethrower?" Proton asked angrily. He was responded by a swift Flamethrower from Zippo, which easily took out the mushroom pokémon and left her charred and scorched.

"Dammit…FUCK!" he roared, stomping his foot in frustration. "I am NOT going to be caught by little shits like you!" He pointed them dramatically. "Buff, Cassidy, come in here quickly!"

The door to the room slid open – the two guards Ash and Ritchie had seen before came inside, looking at the situation before they grinned at the two boys. The man had an annoyed look on his face and he spoke immediately. "But sir, my name is Butch—"

"I don't give a rat's fart about what your damn name is!" Proton interjected angrily, and the two Rockets flinched. "Now, take care of these fucking twats, or else I'll rip your balls and roast them for lunch!"

The man sighed, already having the two boys scarred by the usage of such vulgar language. "Sorry kiddos. If we meet another time, you two will be dead."

Ash growled as he saw the man take out another pokémon, sending forth an Abra. Ash couldn't do anything – he had to take care of the two Rockets in front of him rather than Proton. The executive smirked evilly and touched the Abra, teleporting away from the place.

Butch shook his head and took out something too familiar for Ash – a gun. The man simply pointed it at Ritchie, smirked and then said: "Sorry, you two. It looks like we have to do whatever Sir Proton tells us to do." Ash screwed his eyes shut as he heard the noise of the trigger being pressed…

But nothing happened.

Butch looked around in confusion. "What? It can't be a dud!"

"You idiot!" the golden-haired lady, Cassidy, growled. "You forgot to cock it, Hutch!"

"My name isn't Hutch!" Butch screamed.

This was enough distraction for Ash to run forwards and tackle Butch to the ground, knocking the gun from his hand and it landed right between Cassidy and Ritchie.

There was mad dash for the gun between the two and it looked like Cassidy had gotten it, but Ash stopped her by putting his foot in front of her and tripping her. The Rocket squealed as she fell face-first to the ground, and this was enough time for Ritchie to pick it up.

Ash ran to his friend's side with a grin. "Okay, Ritchie. You heard what they said – you have to cock the gun."

Ritchie nodded, and did what he was told to, and he heard the satisfying noise of a click. Butch and Cassidy looked alarmed at the duo, and they put their best-fake smile on their faces.

"Look, children," Cassidy said in a sugar-coated voice, "it isn't good for you to hold a gun in your hands." Butch took a step forward. "Now, w—"

But it was too late; Ritchie flinched as he saw Butch take a step forwards, and he involuntarily pressed the trigger, a gunshot echoing in the room and a shriek of pain from Butch. Ash looked down and gasped to see a hole in the male Rocket's left shoe, but fortunately there was no blood oozing out.

"Oh, thank the lord!" Butch said as tears flowed down his cheeks. "Oh, it was a good thing to wear oversized shoes…"

Ritchie snorted. "Um, did you pee your pants?"

Butch frowned. "No."

"You did pee your pants." It was Ash who spoke now.

Butch frowned even more. "No, I didn't!"

Cassidy squealed. "Mitch, they're right! There's something wrong with your plumbing!"

"For the last damn time, my name is Butch!"

Cassidy spat something on the floor. "Tch, it doesn't matter. So what if we don't have a gun? We still have our pokémon! Go, Raticate!"

"Go, Primeape!" Butch shouted as an angry pig-monkey pokémon appeared from the thrown pokeball.

"Fine, let's do this!" Ash exclaimed. "Frogadier, use Aerial Ace on Raticate!"

"Zippo, use Fire Punch on Raticate!" Ritchie commanded.

"Raticate, use Hyper Fang!" Cassidy yelled.

"Primeape, use Fire Punch!" Butch hollered.

All four pokémon launched their respective attacks. Frogadier kept Raticate at bay with several Aerial Aces while Zippo and Primeape tried their best to find a gap to hit their respective opponent as they continued their onslaught of Fire Punches.

"Frogadier, use Quick Attack! Follow up with Aerial Ace!" Ash commanded. Frogadier nodded, quickly crashing into Raticate and stunning her for a second before jumping up with a high burst and diving at Raticate, jabbing her with his glowing arm and then slashing her with it. Frogadier then blasted the Raticate back with a Water Pulse under Ash's command, and the rodent slammed against the wall before she slumped down, unconscious.

Zippo, however, was not doing so good. He constantly had to shield his body from Primeape's numerous powerful jab, trying to find a gap to the Charmeleon's body. Ash quickly commanded Frogadier to attack Primeape with Aerial Ace, and the pig monkey pokémon was stunned long enough for Zippo to recover and attack with several Fire Punches. The combined efforts from Zippo and Frogadier were too much for the fighting type to handle, and he was thrown back to the Rockets' feet, unconscious.

"I can't believe this! This is insane!" Cassidy muttered in disbelief as she and Butch recalled their defeated pokémon.

Butch, however, simply smirked. "Don't worry, Cassidy. They will surely fall before our secret weapon. Drowzee, go!"

Out came a tapir-like pokémon, with a yellow upper half and a brown lower half. She had tired looking eyes, and it looked like she was taunting them as she moved her claws. Ash identified the creature as a Drowzee, one that Ash had learned so much about after Gary and he had purposefully let one loose in a classroom as a prank.

Ash smiled. Those were the times before Gary had turned into an arrogant jerk.

"It's time we taught you a lesson!" Cassidy shouted. Attack, Drowzee," she ordered.

"We can handle this too, right Frogadier?" Ash said with a grin. "Water Pulse!"

"Send it back, Drowzee," Butch ordered.

Drowzee raised a claw just before the powerful sphere of water was about to hit her. Then, with the other claw, she sent the attack back at Frogadier, this time at a much faster speed and it crashed into his torso, sending him flying back.

Butch chortled. "Well, but now, what can you do without pokémon?" He raised a hand. "Control their pokémon, Drowzee!"

"What?" Ritchie frowned.

His question was answered as a blue aura enveloped Zippo and Frogadier, and they twitched and groaned in pain for a few seconds before they stood absolutely still. Worried for their pokémon, the trainers tapped their shoulders, only to earn an angry growl as they turned around. Their eyes were red with rage, and they took offensive stances as they continued to glare at Ash.

"W-What's happening?" Ritchie asked as he looked at Zippo in fear.

Cassidy smirked. "Charmeleon – attack."

Ritchie shrieked in pain and Ash's eyes widened, and he still couldn't believe that Zippo had attacked his own trainer. Three, thick lines remained from the slash, blood trickling through the tears of the T-shirt. Ritchie fell to the floor, huddling to a corner in fear from the controlled creature. Raising another claw, the Charmeleon turned to Ash.

"Z-Zippo, return…" Ritchie said through a sniffle, a red beam of energy hitting Zippo and absorbing him into the pokeball. The pokeball wiggled for a second or two before it went still. Ritchie sniffled again, not bothering to get up after what happened.

Butch let out a snort of contempt. "Shall we make your pokémon attack you, huh?" he asked rhetorically, looking at Ash.

Ash did not say anything – instead, he fished out Frogadier's pokeball and recalled his pokémon, breaking him free from Drowzee's control. Ash did not dare to send out another pokémon of his – if he would send all of them, who knows if he would have to face the brutal power of his six pokémon?

"I don't understand how one Drowzee can be powerful enough to control two pokémon at the same time," Ash commented.

"Oh, this?" the female Rocket said as she pointed at the Drowzee. "We simply enhanced this Drowzee by injecting a few illegal drugs into her system," she said with an evil smile. "But sadly, she grew resistant to us and so we had to use this device made by Professor Yamba to make her a killing machine. Nice, right?"

Ash gritted his teeth at that. He couldn't help but feel sad for the poor Drowzee under Team Rocket's control. Instead, she could have a nice life if she was captured by another trainer. But instead she was broken and insane…the drugs had destroyed her…

"It's time we have some fun, eh Cassidy?" Butch said sadistically. "Drowzee, use Confusion on those boys!"

As Drowzee raised both of her claws, a pain shot through Ash's spine and finally to his head, making him screw his eyes shut in agony as he clutched the side of his forehead, begging for the unending pain to stop. Through his half-closed eyes he could see Ritchie wriggling in his spot, curling up into a ball as he too felt the same pain.

Ash screamed in anger as another shot of pain, this time much more concentrate, ran up his spine and hit his head. Every muscle of his body ached, and his head felt like it was going to explode. His temples burned and ached…the pain of it was making his eyes stream…

The pain built up in his head once again, and he felt like his skull was going to explode. He writhed in agony as the Drowzee continued to torture him – no, as the _Rockets_ continued to torture him.

His eyes screw up against the pain in his head, now more terrible than ever. "AAUGH!" he screeched, slamming his temples with his palms. He fell against the floor, unable to do anything against the psychic torture he was facing.

He wanted to fight back. He wanted to fight back for himself, for his pokémon, for Drowzee, for Ritchie…but how? He was simply human. He screamed one more time, trying to release the pain through his yelps of agony.

As soon as he screamed, a jolt seemed to pass through him. He stood on his knees, ignoring the pain coursing through his veins, and soon the pain was replaced with a rush of adrenaline. With a heavy breath, he staggered up, supporting himself by putting his palm on the wall.

Butch blinked in shock. "What the hell is that?"

Cassidy merely shook her head. "I don't know, Bill…!"

"STOP!" the boy roared, his veins glowing blue as he did so, looking upwards dramatically as his arms were outstretched. He glared at Butch and Cassidy, eyes glowing electric blue and he slumped his shoulders before he shot out something from his chest, which struck Butch and Cassidy and Drowzee on their torso and sent them flying to the wall…something blue…like as if he channeled his life energy…

Ash groaned and fell to his knees; his eyes stopped glowing and so did his veins. His struggle to break free nearly cost him his life. His vision began to dim and the back of his head crashed against the edge of the table, and he blacked out.

* * *

"Hey, I can see his eyes moving!"

"And look, his fingers are moving too!"

"Ash, can you hear us? Open your eyes; it's us – your friends!"

Ash opened his eyes, noticing that the light overhead was blinding him, and it took more than a few seconds for him to adjust to the brightness. The next thing he noticed were two people smiling widely at him – one was a girl with long brown hair wearing a teal top and a red skirt, while the other was a boy with auburn hair, wearing primarily green.

"Ritchie and…Leaf?" he choked out.

Ritchie grinned. "Yes, he remembers us!"

"He's lucky." Ash turned to his left to see a doctor with a smile on his face. "The way he got hit on the back of his head was sure to give him retrograde amnesia." The doctor turned and looked at Ash with a warm smile. "We just need to take a few more tests, and then you're free to go." Ash nodded as he sat upright, and the doctor left immediately, a nurse tailing him.

As soon as the doctor left, he felt someone smack him on his head. "Ow!" he cried as he rubbed his head, and he found out that the culprit was Leaf. "What was that for?"

Leaf gritted her teeth. "That was for doing such a stupid thing!" she yelled. Ash frowned as he saw unshed tears in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away when she saw that Ash noticed them. "Don't you ever do something so stupid like that, ever again!"

Ash gave a sheepish grin before he nodded. Unexpectedly, the girl pulled him into a tight hug, letting him go only after a few moments. Ash blinked, an indistinct and uncomfortable feeling rising in his chest. It was only after Leaf let him go that everything returned to normal, although Ash still could not shake off the feeling.

"Zippo's pretty mad at himself," Ritchie said, talking about the Drowzee incident. "After I told him that he slashed me, he got so guilty that I had to return him to stop him from diving into a pond."

Ash frowned. "How did those marks get healed?"

Ritchie rubbed the back of his neck. "Eh, it was Chansey Egg; they gave you the same thing to heal your fractured skull." Ash's eyes widened, and Brock nodded.

"I still don't get one thing, though," Ritchie added. "How _did_ you defeat that overpowered Drowzee?"

Ash shrugged. "I really don't know. I just got really angry, and then something…happened…" He sighed and winced at the thought. "I really don't remember."

Misty smiled. "Well, the good thing is that you've gotten all right. There's nothing else to worry about."

Ash smiled. Misty was right. There was nothing else to worry about.

* * *

The doors of a large, elegant room burst open, and the man sitting in a chair flinched. An irritated look on his face, he spun around to look at the person who entered his office, to find out that it was none other than one of his executives.

"Proton!" the man exclaimed, confused why the man had been here rather than where he was supposed to be. "What are you doing here? I thought I stationed you to manage our Celadon base?"

Proton gritted his teeth, ashamed to tell the truth to his boss. "Sir…I'm afraid that we no longer have control over the Celadon base."

The man stopped rubbing the head of his Persian. "What do you mean by that?" he asked in a dangerously soft voice.

Proton sweated beads of fear. "Um…we were beaten up by a duo of trainers."

"What?!" the man shouted angrily.

Proton shifted nervously in his spot. "But boss, I would've been able to take care of them if—I'm sorry," he corrected once he saw the man's angry glare.

"Who were those trainers?" the man asked.

"They said they were kids from Pallet Town…One of them had a Charmeleon while the other had some blue frog."

Proton shrank under the glare his boss was giving him, and the man stared intently at the executive to determine whether he was telling the truth. "Fine. Did you say that they were two trainers from Pallet Town?"

"That's right," Proton confirmed.

"Okay. I want everything you can get on the trainers that started from Pallet Town this year. Names, achievements, relations, anything you can get your hands on. Do you understand me?"

"Yes sir!" Proton immediately replied. "It will be done."

The Rocket boss leaned back in his chair and continued rubbing his Persian's head. An evil grin split across his face.

* * *

 **And this is the first time that Ash's Aura abilities are awakened! This won't be the last time where Ash'll use Aura. In any case, they'll awaken in only great times of stress, so he doesn't know how to control it, and he will learn about them in _this arc itself_. So, no worries!**

 **I've also put up a poll up on my profile, which asks if you guys want an appearance of any Alola pokemon in the Kanto/Johto Arc. Which ones do you guys want?**

 **I can't guarantee when the next chapter will be up, mainly because my exams are going on right now and a week after it gets over I have a lot of other work to do. I'm not going to abandon this story; that's the last thing I'll want to do.**

 **Chapter 21: The Primape's Directive**


	21. The Primeape Directive

**Here's another manga thing! I really had no way other than this to introduce Primeape, since I want it to be different from the anime (which was lame). So here it is! Enjoy!**

* * *

Ash looked up, taking in the gigantic structure of the Celadon Departmental Store, which was towering over him by fifteen stories. It was gigantic – larger than any store in the entire region. It held all the standards supplies and gears for trainers, and even separate floors for drugs approved by the Pokémon League, bicycles and many other things. However, Ash was here just for one specific thing – TMs.

He had heard from several other trainers that the Departmental Store held a variety of numerous TMs, and he could use them to expand his pokémon's move pools.

"I can't believe that we're going shopping!" Leaf squealed, giving a hi-five to Misty as she did so. "Ash, you are going to help us, right?"

Ash looked at the two girls in fright. "I…I was?"

"Ash, thank you so much for asking to carry our bags!" said Misty, patting him on the back.

Ash gulped. "Um, I think you two are strong enough to carry your own bags."

"You're a boy, so be a gentleman!" Leaf scolded as she grabbed one of Ash's hands and started to drag him towards the mall.

"Kill me, Ritchie," Ash pleaded as he looked at the boy who was left behind.

Ritchie simply snickered at Ash's predicament and shook his head while waving good-bye to his friend. His laughter was short-lived, however, once Misty reached out and grabbed him to carry him along as well.

* * *

If there was one thing aside from crooks that Ash hated, it was shopping, and that was the situation he and Ritchie found themselves in at the moment. Leaf and Misty were being shopaholics right now while the two boys were forced to carry their numerous bags. What made it worse was that Leaf and Misty had decided to shop for their pokémon too, which just gave Ash and Ritchie more bags to carry.

"How much longer do we have to undergo this torture?" Ritchie asked.

"Just five more minutes," Leaf replied, although she didn't sound so sure.

The five minutes extended to another hour, and by that time Ritchie and Ash were purely exhausted. Deciding to give them a break, Leaf and Misty treated them to lunch, which he gladly accepted. The two wolfed down their food in a matter of minutes since they wanted to head to the Trainer Supplements section of the store. After taking his last bite, Ash let out a burp and abruptly stood up.

"Thanks for the food, but we need to go and do some shopping for ourselves, too!" Ash said quickly before he and Ritch scurried off.

Misty and Leaf frowned at that. "Hey! Who's going to help us carry our bags when we get out of here?"

Far off from the distance, Ritchie shouted, "Why don't you ask Brock?!"

The girls grinned devilishly and turned to Brock, who was slowly backing away from them. "M-Me?" he muttered in a scared tone.

* * *

Ash quickly found himself staring at a massive array of TMs displayed in the trainer section of the store. He took a glimpse of numerous disks – they were all costing about 2,000 pokédollars. They were certainly expensive, but from the numerous wins he had achieve he would be able to buy at least one TM per pokémon.

For Amethyst, he picked out Dark Pulse. He decided that the Sableye hardly had any dark-type attacks, and he had seen the power of the dark attack from Ellen's Druddigon. He put it in the carry bag.

He first picked one for Frogadier. The newly evolved pokémon hardly had any attacks to his arsenal, limiting to only four attacks – Water Pulse, Aerial Ace, Quick Attack and Bubble. For Frogadier, he picked up Ice Beam – a powerful ice type attack that could take down several other types, and it could also be a way to counter any grass type pokémon used against him. He quickly placed it in the small bag he carried.

Then, he picked one for Bunsen – Flame Charge. He had read in his pokedex that through continuous practice of Flame Charge a Charmander could master Flare Blitz, a highly powerful move that required the user to be strong enough to withstand recoil damage. Although he was sure that Bunsen could not hold the power of Flare Blitz in his current stage, he could at least be comfortable with it in his Charmeleon stage.

He then bought Shock Wave for Pikachu. While Thunderbolt was no doubt a powerful and precise move, it could always miss. Shock Wave, on the other hand, was very precise and had absolutely no chance of missing its opponent. He put that too in the bag.

For Butterfree, he had a long time to decide between Shadow Ball and Psychic. After another fifteen minutes, he picked up Shadow Ball. Since Butterfree had already mastered a weaker version of Psychic, a naturally impossible feat for any Butterfree, he was sure that the butterfly could correct it in a matter of weeks.

He then picked Scald for Krabby, Sludge Bomb for Bacchus and Aerial Ace for Pidgeotto. Since Krabby relied mainly on his pincers, he had primarily physical moves on his arsenal, and it could prove fatal if the opponent had abilities such as Poison Touch or Effect Spore. Moreover, Scald had a chance of inflicting a burn status due to the highly concentrated heat on the pressurized blast of water. Sludge Bomb was picked for Bacchus because he needed a poison type attack rather than a grass type attack. And since Pidgeotto relied mainly on her speed, Aerial Ace could prove worthy in battle.

He smiled as he walked over to the cashier and handed the eight TMs, and the clerk kept a permenant smile as he billed Ash for the TMs. He even gave the raven-haired boy a TM case that would protect the devices if anything happened. Ash paid the vast amount of money, thanked the clerk and walked away.

"So, what TMs did you get?" Ash asked Ritchie, who glanced down at his own TM case before speaking.

"I got Dig for Zippo, Psychic for Happy, Poison Jab for Alan and Hyper Beam for Marko." Ash furrowed his brow at the mention of his last pokémon, and Ritchie explained, "Marko is the giant Tentacruel I have."

Ash mouthed an 'Ah' as he and Ritchie walked over to Brock, who had a bag full of ingredients to cook food for humans and pokémon alike. His newly-acquired Eevee was in his hands, and the two were looking at the array of different evolutionary stones on display.

"Isn't that cool, Eevee?" Brock said with a smile, and the energetic pokémon nodded.

"Vee!" she cried, startling everyone by jumping out of Brock's arms and landing onto the exposed stones. Brock's eyes widened in horror as the evolution pokémon glowed, until the glow died down after a few moments.

In place of Eevee stood a Jolteon, smiling innocently at Brock while he and a member of the staff looked at her with an annoyed expression. Brock looked like he was about to burst with anger – he would obviously have to pay for the Thunderstone that had just lost its powers – but with a heavy sigh he calmed down.

"Excuse me, but there is a sale on evolutionary stones today," the clerk said sweetly. "They're only for 2,400 pokédollars!"

Brock took another sigh before he pulled out his wallet and fished out several notes. After counting them thrice, he reluctantly handed over the money to the clerk, who happily took the money before giving an icy glare towards Jolteon.

"Eevee—I mean, Jolteon, return," Brock said sadly, and a red beam of energy coated the electric type and recalled her back into her pokeball.

* * *

"…And that's what happened," Brock recalled with a sigh.

Misty forced a smile. "Well, on the bright side, you at least got an electric type!"

With Celadon City behind them, the group was now continuing on to Saffron City. To their relief, they found out that it would take about two days for them to reach Saffron City. They were glad that they wouldn't have to go camping for a whole month between these two cities, unlike the others. As of now, they were enjoying a nice lunch prepared by none other than Brock himself. Their pokémon were eating, playing around or introducing themselves to the newest members, Jolteon and Psyduck. Jolteon happily introduced herself and started shooting sparks in the air, while Psyduck only gave them a blank stare before mumbling something and walking away.

Leaf looked over to her crush, who was talking to Ritchie about the Indigo League. Since the past few weeks the raven-haired boy had been unusually close to her, but it could also be unintentional. It had always been so hard to read Ash, even though she was sure that he was the same, dense boy. Did he like her back? The thought of that made her blush.

Ash noticed her gaze on him and simply gave her a smile, a gesture that she returned. As a test to see what would happen, she scooted closer towards Ash to see what would happen. True to her suspicions, Ash did not widen the gap between them, so maybe he was doing that on purpose. Did he enjoy staying close to her? Oh, well.

"Leaf, are you okay?" Ash asked upon noticing her goofy expression.

Leaf shook her head and smiled sheepishly as she scratched the back of her neck. "Huh? Oh, yes I'm fine, Ash, heheheh…"

"I suggest we leave right now," Brock stated suddenly. "I hope everyone is done with the lunch I prepared."

"Bok, zefoon was teemey deshus!" Ash exclaimed.

His mouth was so full of food that everyone thought it was quite an achievement for him to make any noise at all.

"What?" Brock said, while Misty looked revolted. Ash gave an enormous swallow and repeated, "Brock, the food was extremely delicious!"

"Thank you, Ash," Brock said, picking up the empty bowls from everyone and Ash gave an enormous burp, earning a disgusted sound from Misty. A few minutes later Brock was done with packing up the utensils and the group continued on their journey.

Ash had quite a good time during their walk down the dirt path. He battled several trainers, and he lost only to a few, experienced ones. With a little bit of fine training Ash was sure that he could take care of Sabrina, especially when he had Amethyst with him.

By now they had entered into a barren place, far different than the lush, green area they were once in. Dead trees stood in random spots, while a few blades of grass sprouted around them. Aside from them, the land was lifeless. Brock bent down and ran his fingers along the hard ground, frowning as he did so.

"What is it, Brock?" Ritchie asked, noticing the teen in deep thought.

"No…It's just that the erosion of the land here is severe…That means that we're closer to Saffron City, since the industrial pollution from the factory region has destroyed all plant life around it…But still…"

* * *

"Pikachu, use Shock Wave!"

Brock, Misty and Leaf were woken up to the sounds of boulders crashing and their remains bouncing off the ground. Through half-closed eyes they could see Ash's Pikachu obliterating the boulders, while Ritchie's Charmeleon was using all his strength to hurl them at the mouse pokémon.

"Great job, Pikachu!" said Ash, giving the pokémon a thumbs-up before recalling his pokémon.

It was time to continue their journey towards Saffron City. At first, Ash was quite happy and skipped his way along the path before he started sweating madly under the sun's intense heat. Every two minutes he would stop, support himself on his knees and take short sips from his flask before continuing on, and although Misty mocked him for being delicate she soon found herself in a similar predicament. By that time Ash had gulped down the water from everyone's containers, and not a single drop of water was left for her. Misty began to feel as though she was going to die from dehydration, and she abruptly fell down on her knees at one point.

"Why don't you ask one of your pokémon to spray some water on you?" Ash suggested, stating the obvious.

Misty blushed in embarrassment and didn't talk to him for the next hour.

"How much longer is this going to take?" Ritchie complained as he plopped down on a rather large boulder; a second later he let out a short howl of pain before he rubbed his backside.

Brock took the backpack off his shoulder, swung it and let go of it, where it landed right next to where Ritchie was sitting. "I don't know. We _might_ reach Saffron in three hours; four tops."

Ritchie groaned irritably and threw his arms in the air. "Good God…"

"But then—" He stopped midway and scrunched his eyebrows, and he was sure that he could sense something around him. "A presence…?"

"WAAA!" He turned around to see Misty fearfully walking towards Ash, pointing upwards. "G-G-Guys…We have trouble!"

Surrounding them were hundreds of Mankey, a hungry and menacing look in their eyes. They looked particularly scrawny for their species, and they were growling in a low voice. The group huddled together, trying to stay as far away from the group of Mankey, but with each step they took, the Mankey took a step towards them.

"It's a whole troupe on the move…" Brock muttered.

Leaf shivered. "But then…why are they surrounding us like this?" she asked.

"When they stalk like this, it usually means that they're very hungry," Brock replied. "Just look at them. They're looking for prey."

Ash gulped. "P-Prey?" he reiterated.

"At this point they'll eat just about—"

Ash sidestepped as two Mankey leapt at him, avoiding them in the nick of time, letting the Mankey bash their skulls together with such force that they were knocked out. Brock was right – they were very thin, and he could see the outline of their ribs as they lied spread-eagled on the ground. Upon seeing their fallen comrades, the others let out battle cries and the hundred Mankey jumped towards the group.

"We need to break the line!" Ash said, unclipping several pokéballs and hurling them into the air; in a matter of seconds the creatures within materialized on the floor and stared at the troupe of Mankey, clearly frightened.

The others too followed Ash's example and sent forth their respective pokémon. Another line of Mankey replaced the already defeated one, as if they were never going to end. "Frogadier, use Water Pulse! Pidgeotto, Wing Attack!"

"Starmie, Psychic! Horsea, blind them with Smokescreen!" he heard Misty shout.

It seemed that all their efforts were in vain. Within a matter of seconds the Mankey knew how to counter the attacks after listening to angry shrieks and grunts.

"We're going to get nowhere like this," he muttered softly as his pokémon strained to keep the horde of Mankey away from him. It was then that he noticed a Primeape, sitting not far away from the scene, looking angrily at them. _Could it—?_

"Pidgeotto, I need you to clear a path for me to that Primeape over there!" Ash yelled through the noise, and he repeated it once more to make sure that the bird pokémon had heard it. While Brock's two Graveler flattened several Mankey like they were bowling pins, Pidgeotto smacked several of them to make a path for Ash. With a word of thanks, he ran with all his strength, making sure that no Mankey had grabbed onto any part of his body.

"Attack that Primeape!" Ash roared.

Pidgeotto flew towards the Primeape and pecked him on the forehead.

"PRIIIIIIIIME!" the Primeape bellowed, his face contorting with rage as he got up from his spot and started to chase the avian creature. Ash let out a triumphant snort and pumped his fist in the air.

"I was right!" he exclaimed in glee, turning back to look at the Mankey troupe look at each other with confused expressions. "Without the Primeape's commands the pack is confused. Pidgeotto, use Aerial Ace on Primeape!"

The wild Primeape, however, took the blow and turned his attention towards Ash. So this human was trying to defeat him, huh?

"PRIIIIIIMEAAAAPE!" the Primeape thundered as he ran towards Ash with a reared fist. Realization dawned on his face a moment later, and he spat blood as he took a powerful punch from the Primeape. Just as the wild Primeape was about to land another punch, Pidgeotto swooped in and kicked him with her talons, sending him tumbling away from Ash.

"Thanks…Pidgeotto," Ash coughed out, running his hand along the back of her neck. H wiped the drops of blood on his lips. "Okay – Pidgeotto, Frogadier, Bunsen, Bacchus, Krabby, Amethyst I need you to attack that Primeape! Without his orders, the Mankey won't be able to do anything!" he shouted out, tossing the five pokéballs in the air. In front of him appeared the rest of his five pokémon, forming a line between him and the Primeape.

"Okay guys, he won't be able to take care of all six of you! Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!"

The Primeape took his battle stance, taunting Ash and his pokémon with his fists, but the look of contempt disappeared on his face as soon as Pidgeotto disappeared in a flash and crashed against Primeape, then – "Frogadier, Aerial Ace!" – was stunned again by a swift jab from his glowing arm, before – "Bacchus, Vine Whip!" – shrieking in pain from two lashes by the Bulbasaur; then – "Scald!" – a hot blast of water sent him soaring back, and he winced in pain before – "Flame Charge, Bunsen!" – finally being pinned down by Bunsen, who crashed into him with a cloak of hot flames surrounding him.

"Priiiiiimeape…" the pig monkey grunted, his eyes widened in shock before he fell down to the ground and admitted defeat.

Ash turned back, a look of utmost satisfaction on his face as he saw the pack of Mankey scurrying away, apparently frightened by the sight of their defeated leader. "We did it! They're gone!"

Ash noticed his friends running up to him, covered in dust as they did so.

"Unbelievable!" Leaf beamed.

"Cool," Misty said.

"Amazing," said Ritchie, awestruck.

"That was great quick thinking, Ash," Brock said with a grin. "Why hadn't you done that any sooner?"

Ash grinned back, blushing as he received a pat on the back from Brock. "Well…" He trailed off as he noticed the Primeape, heavily wounded, lying on the ground in pain from the ruthless volley of attacks. Ash felt his heart sink. Was he going to leave him there?

"Wait a minute, guys," Ash dismissed with a wave of his hand before walking over to the Primeape. He cradled the creature, who was glaring hatefully at Ash and wincing every few seconds. Without thinking twice, he fished out a Revive capsule from his backpack, broke it open and forced the powder inside down the Primeape's throat. In a few seconds the Primeape was up and he reluctantly gave Ash a grateful nod before standing upright. The Primeape was weak, however; although the Revive Capsule had got rid of most of his injuries, they would only vanish if they were properly healed.

"Here," Ash said with a smile, handing a rather old apple at the Primeape, who took it only after waiting for a few seconds. "It's okay. You had to find food for your pack, being the leader, didn't you?" he sympathized.

"Prime…" the Primeape replied, a tear trickling down his cheek.

"Why don't you call your pack? I'm sure we have some food we can give."

The Primeape's ears twitched and he looked up in excitement. "Prime?" he asked, and Ash nodded. "PRIIIIME!" he grunted out, and he hiding Mankey poked their heads out from behind several boulders they were hiding behind.

Ash turned to Brock. "Hey, Brock!" he called out. "Do you have more of that pokémon food?"

Brock furrowed his brow. "Yeah, why?" he asked.

Ash rubbed the back of his neck. "Because you're about to feed a whole pack!" he yelled out.

* * *

"Aw man, all my supplies are depleted…"

Brock groaned as he packed the empty canisters which were filled with food a few minutes ago as the group of Mankey pranced around them – they were utterly grateful towards the humans, who had given them practically every ounce of food in their bags. The leader, Primeape, continuously followed Ash wherever he went. Although he felt it was somewhat annoying, he knew that the pig monkey pokémon had a certain fondness for him.

"Look, I can already see the connecting gate from here!" Ash exclaimed, pointing dramatically in front of him. He turned down towards the Primeape, the troupe behind him. "It looks like this is where we say goodbye, Primeape."

"It was nice meeting you," Leaf said with a smile.

The Primeape glared angrily at Ash. "Prime, Primeape!"

"What?" he asked, frowning slightly.

"Oh, I hope he's not asking for more food," Brock muttered hopefully.

"Prime, Prime Ape Primeape Ape Ape-Prime!" the Primeape exclaimed enthusiastically, pointing at the pokéballs on Ash's belt.

The boy's eyes widened in surprise, and his stomach did a back-flip in exhilaration. "You…You want to travel with me?"

"Primeape!" he affirmed with a smile. Just as Ash was about to throw the pokeball on him, the pig monkey pokémon leapt back, keeping an appropriate distance between him and Ash. Primeape taunted him with a fist, and everyone quickly understood what the wild pokémon meant.

"I think Primeape wants to first battle you, Ash," Brock said with a supressed smile.

"Okay then, Primeape!" Ash said, a grin etched on his face. "But I'm not going to hold back!"

"Priiiiiimeape!"

He tossed a pokeball in the air, which snapped open and sent forth Pidgeotto. The bird pokémon chirped upon coming out and spread her wings, looking at Ash in annoyance after noticing Primeape. "It's just a battle, Pidgeotto," he explained, although Pidgeotto still didn't feel any better. "Let's begin! Start off with Aerial Ace!"

Pidgeotto nodded; she tucked in her wings and swooped at Primeape, but the fighting type was far quicker. He ducked at the last second, and in a jiffy he shot a balled-up glowing fist upwards, striking Pidgeotto on her torso to earn a squawk of pain. She gasped in pain before letting out coked coughs as she soared upwards and away from Primeape.

"Pidgeotto, are you alright?" he cried out in worry. A few moments later he heard a shriek from above, and he was happy that she had not sustained any heavy injuries from Primeape's brute strength. However, it would take more than a punch to bring the bird down.

"Okay then, use Quick Attack!"

"J'iotto!" she squawked as she flew to the ground, spinning as she did so. The moment she was a few metres off the ground, she spread her wings, letting her slow down as to not crash on the ground. She then quickly picked up her speed and when she was a metre away from Primeape – "Now, Sand Attack!" – she stopped midway and kicked the ground, hurtling sand into Primeape's eyes and partially blinding him.

"PRIIIIIME PRIIIMEAAAPE!" The wild Primeape grunted, shaking his head in an attempt to throw the sand from his eyes. He hurled a punch forward in an attempt to hit Pidgeotto, but with his now-terrible aim he only hit the air.

"Great, Pidgeotto!" Ash praised. "Now, use Wing Attack!"

 _SMACK!_ Primeape was thrown to the ground from Pidgeotto's powerful wings, which were still glowing even after she had successfully hit Primeape with them. A moment later he got up, and Pidgeotto once again swung her wings. Primeape, however, simply ducked and angrily caught the wing in his arm, startling Ash and everyone else. "AAAAAAPE!" he roared, gutting the avian with a powerful punch that sent her reeling in pain.

Ash bit his lower lips so hard that it started to bleed as he watched Primeape gutting his pokémon. "Pidgeotto!" he shouted.

Primeape bellowed again before he grappled his opponent. Then, with a gruff chant of his name, he leapt in the air, spinning several times while mid-air. Ash easily recognized the move as Seismic Toss – he had seen it too many times on TV, and it would be long before he would forget it.

He had to find a way to let Pidgeotto loosen from Primeape's grip, or it would be over for the avian creature. Primeape continued to spin, increasing his momentum as he did so. "Pidgeotto, I need you to carry Primeape high up into the sky!"

At the right time Pidgeotto spread her wings, breaking herself from Primeape's grasp. Without a second to lose she set off upwards, carrying Primeape with her by the help of her talons. As soon as she reached an appropriate height, she spun, finally letting go of Primeape to reach his doom.

"Follow up with Aerial Ace!"

As Primeape plummeted to the ground, Pidgeotto swooped in after him, jabbing him fiercely with an elongated beak that sped up his fall. Primeape crashed on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust that Pidgeotto swept off in a matter of moments. It was clear that Primeape was knocked out – no one could still keep standing after such a devastating fall. Ash smirked, fished out a spare pokeball and tossed it at Primeape; the pokeball bounced off his body, snapped open and absorbed the pig monkey pokémon in a burst of red light. The red-and-white sphere shook for a few seconds, before it clicked, indicating that Primeape was caught.

"Yes!" Ash said, jumping and pumping his fist in the air. "I caught a Primeape!"

"Congratulations, Ash!" Leaf exclaimed.

"Thanks," Ash said, looking at Primeape's pokeball. "I'm sure that Primeape and I are going to be good friends." He pressed the button on the back, sending Primeape forth, and Ash bent so that he could look at his friend at eye level.

"Hey, Primeape," Ash said with a grin. "How would it be if you got a nickname?"

"Ape!" Primeape frowned before punching Ash in the stomach, and the boy fell to the ground. He looked up weakly at Primeape, who was furiously shaking his head.

"Ugh…" Ash groaned. "You could've just said no…"

* * *

The Rocket Boss leaned back on his chair, casually petting his Persian until he heard a knock on the door. With a sigh, he lifted a sleek remote off his table, pressed a button on it and the door opened.

"What is it this time, Proton?" the Rocket Boss asked snappishly. "Were you defeated by some kids again?!"

"No!" Proton replied angrily, and his tone softened under his boss' glare. "I have procured the files you wanted on the Pallet Town trainers."

The Rocket boss' lips curled upwards as the executive walked towards him, placing a set of files on the table once he reached there. The man snatched the files from him, and as Proton stood stiffly he opened the file, which dropped several sheets of paper on his lap.

The Rocket boss cursed under his breath. He picked up the sheets of paper and placed them carefully on his desk, reading from them attentively. "Ritchie Hiroshi…Leaf Rose…Paul Shinji…Ryan Zeller…Gary Oak…Ash…" His eyes widened in surprise. "…Ketchum!?"

Surprise still on his face, he shook his head and read further into Ash's file. "Ash Ketchum…Mother, Delia Ketchum…Aha!" he exclaimed triumphantly.

"Listen here, Proton," the Rocket Boss said in a dangerously soft voice, "I want you to assign one of the top spies in our organization to track this Ash Ketchum and report everything that he does. Furthermore, I want someone else to be on Delia Ketchum's tracks. Am I clear?"

Proton frowned, confused by his boss' orders. "Um, but why—?"

"Just do it!" Proton flinched under the loudness of the man's voice. "Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Proton replied through gritted teeth.

* * *

 **Uh-oh! What does Team Rocket have to do with Ash and Delia Ketchum?**

 **So this does prove that Giovanni has some backstory with the Ketchum Family. What it is, I won't disclose it (and no, Giovanni isn't Ash's dad. Deal with it.) but it does show some insight. And yay! Primeape is caught! No, he's not going to be given away to Anthony, but he will be training under someone. Don't worry, he will return - he isn't going to be forgotten like the GS Ball or something.**

 **Okay! I'll see you guys next week then!**

 **Chapter 22 - The Fighting Dojo!**


	22. Author's Apologies

Hello, everyone, and sorry for such a long delay in bringing up the next chapter. There are many reasons for this, and I feel that it'll be better if I give you guys an explanation.

Part of it is down to school. Since this is my first year in Jr. College, I've been kept busy in many ways: assignments, homework, essays and lots of other stuff, including my exams, which occurred during August. Extra-curricular activities have also eaten up my time, so don't expect any new chapters in this month.

Another reason, and this comes with some personal whiny bullshit, is that my laptop's broken down. Something is not functioning properly and there're some weird lines on the screen, meaning that some cells are dead. In the end it stopped working completely and I've got to give it to repair. Now, since my parents are going through a divorce, my dad's completely ignoring me and is gaining happiness in harassing the shit out of me, so it isn't going to be anytime soon when he agrees to repair the laptop. Oh, well.

That's all I'm going to say. I'm sorry if anyone of you guys are disappointed, but I will return, I promise.

~WarsOfShadows


	23. The Fighting Dojo

**_HELL YEAH! I'M BACK, ALIVE AND KICKING!_**

 **Yeah...So it's been a loooong time since my last update, which was simply an A/N. I've been meanmeaning to catch up for a long time, but my exams just got over yesterday and I typed this out on my tab (since my laptop ain't working). I worked on this for a week, remembering what I wrote in my previous saved file cuz I never recovered those files, and I'm somewhat pleased with what I came out with. The next chapter will be the Lavender Arc (no, Ash isn't challenging Sabrina so early) followed by the Safari Zone thingum and then other stuff I've included.**

 **Without further ado, here is chapter 22: Thee Fighting Dojo**

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Three days later, tired and dirty and early in the morning, they arrived in Saffron City.

"Yeah!" Ash pumped his fist in the air. "We made it, guys!"

Ritchie sighed in relief. "Oh, thank Arceus." Then, grinning at Ash, he said, "Do you know what this means, Ash?"

Ash grinned back at him. "Oh, yeah. Our gym battle—!"

"No, you idiot!" Ritchie smacked the back of his head. "Do you really think that we're ready to challenge Sabrina? I was talking about the Battle Club over here! This one is much better than the other ones and it's got loads of better equipment. And there's a fighting dojo. What I'm saying is—"

"Boys," Misty interrupted, "can we at least get inside the city? My legs are aching over here!"

"And I need to take a shower!" Leaf chimed in. "I haven't cleaned myself in five days! I'm stinking!"

Brock nodded. "I gotta agree on this one. There's a lot of time on our hands, and it's not like Saffron City's running anywhere. Let's get to the Pokémon Centre, book a few rooms and then see what we've got to do – which means a lot, since Saffron is the biggest city in the Hinto continent, with Goldenrod being a close second. Sound good?"

Ash shrugged. "Whatever. As long as we get to have some awesome pokémon battles!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Now that's more like it."

Ash rolled in his bed, hand stretching out to reach for the magazine stand and pull out a few leaflets about Saffron City while Amethyst kept teleporting for the heck of it. Brock wad right, there was a lot to do in Saffron City, Ash thought as he read about the number of landmarks in the leaflet. It wasn't like he'd realised how large the city was right now as he read the leaflets – the humongous skyscrapers and the number of people bustling in the streets were enough to blow his mind.

Ash yawned as he skimmed through the leaflet, pausing occasionally at colourful adverts and interesting articles. Amethyst teleported above his head, grabbed his hat and teleported onto the still fan, doing all this in a matter of two seconds. He heard the bathroom door opening and, through the corner of his eyes, saw Ritchie drying himself with a fluffy towel. "Is anything interesting in there?" he asked.

Ash continued to flick pages until something caught his eye. "Look at this – 'The Fighting Dojo holds a tournament once a month to determines the strongest of trainers in all of Kanto! Bring your strongest pokémon and come out on top to add a Tyrogue to your roster and win two TM vouchers at the Saffron City TM Departmental Store! Sign up your name now!' I didn't know this!"

Ritchie's eyes were wide in awe. "A Tyrogue? Wow, that's so cool! I'm definitely signing up!"

Ash grinned. "Me too!"

Ritchie frowned. "Uh, don't you already have Primeape? Why would you want another fighting-type on your team?"

"I want to be the very best, Ritchie," Ash said, rolling his eyes, "like no one ever was! I can't just catch one pokémon of each type and be happy. I need to catch a whole bunch of them, and to train them is my cause!"

"Ugh, you sounded like as if you were singing a TV show's theme song." Ritchie grimaced. "Anyway, let's head out for breakfast. I'm starving."

Amethyst threw a pillow at Ritchie, catching him in the face. He picked it up and, cussing angrily, he hurled it back at the Sableye, who simply sidestepped and stuck out her tongue at Ritchie.

Ash yawned. "Yeah, okay. It's said that the food over here is amazing." Ash grinned. "It'll be great!"

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Ash quickly found out that heading towards the lobby was not great.

On the way, he met Leaf and Misty at the end of the corridor. Misty was (predictably) wearing her yellow tank-top with suspenders and denim shorts, while Leaf had changed into a white dress with floral patterns, and her hair was tied up into a messy bun. This made Ash feel a swooping sensation in his stomach, as if he'd missed a step while walking down a staircase. He said a throaty "Hi," before they made their way to the lobby.

"...and then maybe we'll go for a movie," Leaf said, ending her talk about the days plans. "What do you th—"

"Hey, Ashy-boy!"

Ash stopped in his tracks. He definitely recognised the voice, and he slowly wheeled around to see a bright-eyed Gary Oak heading towards him. His hair was spikier than ever, and his face was split by a cocky smirk. He was hastily clipping his poke balls to his belt and shoving his pokedex into his pocket.

"Oh, hiya, Leaf—" he winked at her, "—and you're here, too, Ritchie!" he exclaimed in a mock-praising voice.

"Hi, Gary," Leaf said coolly. Ritchie and Ash seemed too incapacitated with rage to reply.

"Just got here, I suppose?" Gary snorted. "Of course - you're so slow I wouldn't be surprised if you started going backwards. I got here a week ago, unlike you three, and I've trained my pokémon a lot since Cerulean City."

Ash silently counted till five, which was the number of times he wanted to kick Gary in his teeth. "Why don't we battle and find out, huh?!" he shouted.

Gary snorted. "I don't want to waste my time, Ash, and I don't think you're on my level. If you want someone who's on par with you, I suggest you go to the Bug Catchers in Viridian Forest...At least they'll prove to be a challenge for you're weak pokémon."

Ash made a violent movement towards Gary, but Ritchie and Leaf caught his arms; Leaf hissed in his ear, "Don't!"

"What're you doing here, anyway?!" asked Ritchie before Ash could say anything.

Gary sighed. "Actually, I just came here to heal my pokémon after the gym battle, or else I would've headed for Fuchsia City...Sabrina's Alakazam steamrolled my entire team. Arcanine managed to take down her Venomoth but then she sent out that Alakazam and completely obliterated the rest...I need to go and catch a ghost/dark type pokémon in Lavender Town, or else it's game over..." He smirked once again. "I doubt you'll be able to do anything, Ashy-boy, so you better get out of this place, and maybe come out after another two years...though I doubt you'll still be able to enter the League..."

"Get lost, Gary!" Leaf snarled.

Ash was seething with rage; he would've lashed out at Gary at any point if Leaf hadn't been holding him back. "Anyway, I've to go; battles to win, trainers to beat...Smell ya later, Ashy-boy...Richard head..." And he left, laughing.

"What's his problem?!" Ash grumbled fifteen minutes later, slamming his plate on the table. Angry, he took a moody bite of his sandwich before hurling it in his plate. "The next time I see his face, I'm going to give him a nice kick in his—"

"He's not worth it, Ash," Leaf said. "Just forget about him."

"And he called me 'Richard head'!" Ritchie growled angrily. "Since when has he called me that?!"

Leaf sighed. Misty simply munched on a potato chip and said, "You've got quite some friends, Ketchum."

The rest of the day was pretty much ruined because of Gary's arrival, and the only time Ash and Ritchie were actually happy were when the two signed up for the dojo tournament, but even that moment of happiness was short-lived because Brock had suddenly stumbled upon them, with red marks on his face that suspiciously looked like as if some girl had slapped him. While Misty and Leaf comforted him, Ritchie and Ash took turns in insulting Gary and calling him all sorts of unflattering names and taking dark pleasure at fantasising about beating him up. Ash felt a little better after that, and he actually felt like he was enjoying himself.

They watched a horror movie at the cinema, titled Basculin, which was about a school of some Unovan water-type pokémon that went crazy and started attacking people at the beach, like as if they'd been having beans and cabbage. The special effects were really cheesy, and Ash wasn't even scared. He just spent most of the time criticising the movie and laughing at everybody's stupidity.

Ash made a mental note to never catch a Basculin.

Later, they visited an ice cream parlour and had the best ice cream he'd ever tasted. It was so good that Ash wolfed down three of them, and Leaf had laughed all the way back to the Pokemon Centre at the cream on the front of his shirt.

Even Ash had to admit it was funny.

Once they'd finished with dinner at the Pokémon Centre, he went to his room and immediately dropped onto the bed, his limbs like jelly. He recounted today's events: his spat with Gary, Brock bubbling like a baby, the silly movie at the cinema hall, that oh-so-awesome ice cream. He'd had so much fun today, but he'd neglected his pokémon. He'd neglected training them.

He shrugged. There was always time to train.

And train he shall.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Okay," he said, grabbing three pokeballs in each hand, "go!"

Instantly scarlet energy shot out of each pokeball, soaring into the air before landing onto the grassy ground and forming the basic shape of each pokémon: a lean, muscular frog, a reptile with a flickering flame on his tail, a rodent, a goblin, an avian beast and a short monkey. Ash immediately greeted all of them as soon as they appeared, finally introducing Primeape as an official member of his team.

"So guys, this is Brutus!" he said cheerfully. "Most of you already know who he is, since his pack almost killed us a few days ago..."

Pidgeotto snorted – can birds snort? – and flapped her wings, buffeting the Primeape – who conveniently had settled on the nickname Ash had thought for him, since it sounded aggressive. The pig-monkey pokémon grunted at her and moved menacingly towards her, but Ash put a stop to it.

"Stop!" Ash stood in front of Brutus, blocking Pidgeotto from his view. "There'll be plenty of fighting later on. Now, we're just training, because there's a tournament later today, and there'll be a whole lot of experienced trainers, which brings me to my next point...Do you want to participate in the dojo tournament, Brutus?"

Brutus grinned, slamming his fists together. The prospect of battling experienced trainers was a lot more appealing than battling these noobs for teammates.

"Great!" He grinned, pumping his fist in the air. "Okay, we'll just be seeing what Brutus can do before we start the actual training. Does that sound okay to you, buddy?"

Brutus snorted. As if his trainer needed to ask him to show off his moves.

He flipped open his pokedex and scanned the Primeape in front of him. He seemed much stronger than the average of his species, and although he had already suspected that since his Primeape was once the alpha of his pack he'd never thought that Brutus could easily Amethyst and Frogadier together.

"Primeape, the pig-monkey pokémon. When Primeape becomes furious, it's blood circulation increases. It's muscles are made even stronger. Experienced Primeape are known to pulverise cars in a matter of seconds.

This Primeape is a male and knows the moves Fury Swipes, Karate Chop, Cross Chop, Meditate, Fire Punch, Foresight, Focus Punch, Mega Punch and Thunder Punch. It's ability is Vital Spirit, which prevents it from sleeping.

WARNING: Primeape are known to have nasty tempers and should be treated with respect and caution."

Hmm...Brutus had quite a good move pool, though he knew mostly physical attacks. With a bit of training, Ash had no doubt that he'd be a powerful physical sweeper on his team.

"Okay, Brutus, let's check out your attacks."

They walked over to a large oak tree the other end of the field. The rest of his pokémon gave him a clear area, the tree right in front of his line of sight.

"Okay," Ash said, "use Thunder Punch!"

Brutus's right fist immediately crackled with electricity – the next thing Ash knew, Brutus was sprinting towards the tree, a furry blur before he slammed his fist into the bark.

Ash blinked as splinters flew through the air. There was a loud groan, and the tree fell down with an almighty crash. His mouth fell open and the rest of his team stared at Brutus in awe, who simply grunted and jabbed at the air. He knew Brutus was strong, but he hadn't expected him to do that with a simple Thunder Punch.

"Brutus, that was amazing!" Ash exclaimed in awe, grinning at the fighting type. Brutus was definitely the strongest on his team; he doubted even Bunsen, Frogadier and Amethyst together could take him on.

Behind Ash, Bunsen paled, then flushed, then paled again. This newcomer was much stronger than him. If he had to remain the alpha of the team, he'd have to get stronger quickly!

Ash didn't spend the rest of his time checking out Brutus's skills; he already had enough proof that the Brutus was strong. Instead, he spent the rest of his time devising strategies and combo moves for the rest of his team.

Bunsen was up first. Earlier he'd thought of teaching him to hone his Dragon Rage and possibly learning Dragon Rush, but Brock had told him that the Charmander line could only muster up an accountable amount of draconic energy when they were in their last evolutionary stage – a Charizard – or, if they were particularly prodigious, as Charmeleon. Instead, Ash and Bunsen had agreed on another idea, one that held gleaming prospects for Bunsen especially – Flare Blitz.

It wasn't like the Charmander could master it at this stage, and both of them knew it, but Ash wanted Bunsen to at least be confident about knowing the basics. The general idea was that Bunsen would keep using Flame Charge, a move that was an incredibly weaker version of Flare Blitz, which would help him get used to the high recoil damage one gained from using Flare Blitz.

Pikachu was facing similar problems. The rodent had finally mastered Wild Charge after months of training, which was a small task at the back of his mind. Wild Charge would help Pikachu to learn Volt Tackle – another stupidly powerful move – which would easily steamroll opponents, no matter how big they were.

And the bigger they are, the harder they fall.

"Brutus, you sure?"

"Ape!" he grunted. Brutus had actually volunteered to be the target for Pikachu to practice on, which only surprised him and the rodent for several moments. Finally, after many threats that involved Ash being beaten into a pulp, Ash had agreed that Brutus was for real and allowed Pikachu to test on him their newest combo.

"All right, Pikachu, use Quick Charge!"

Quick Charge was a combination of Agility and Wild Charge. There was a slight problem, though: Pikachu wasn't able to pull off both attacks at the same time. He had to first use enough of his psychic potential before mustering up enough electricity for a proper Wild Charge.

It wouldn't be a problem if Pikachu had to cover a large amount of distance, but since official battlefields weren't that big he could build up enough electrical energy to pull off a Wild Charge. The first time had been a joke; Brutus simply knocked Pikachu away with a Karate Chop before slamming an electrified fist into a ground as a show of a real electric-type attack. The next few times, Pikachu had run the field once before finally slamming into Brutus, who simply grunted before throwing Pikachu away and nodding in approval.

"That's better," Ash said on his eighth try, "but not good." Pikachu glared at him. "Why don't you try it with Quick Attack?"

Pikachu nodded, relaxing himself before shooting off, leaving a trail of white energy. Then, growling, he charged at Brutus, becoming a blur of yellow, the electricity finally taking over a few seconds before he crashed into Brutus, who was knocked back into the air but landed on his feet.

Quick Charge was much smoother with Quick Attack, so Ash decided to let Pikachu use that, even though with Agility the attack would be launched at a greater speed.

Speaking of speed, he didn't really know what the avian creature was doing, but as soon as he did a one-eighty he located her, along with Frogadier. The amphibian was firing projectiles like Ice Beams and Water Guns which Pidgeotto was dodging at top speed, occasionally pulling off bursts of speed with the help of Aerial Ace or Agility. He whistled twice before they put a stop to it and headed his way, eagerly waiting for instructions.

"Okay, Pidgeotto, you can just rest, you're doing great, girl," Ash said, grinning; Pidgeotto squawked arrogantly and flew off to perch on the branches of a tree, under which Amethyst was resting. "Frogadier, do you think you're ready to work on Hydro Pump?"

"Fro!" The gleam in the Frogadier's eyes was enough to answer his question. Ash grinned, fishing for his pokedex, determined to learn more about the powerful water-type move.

"Here it is...'The target is blasted by a huge volume of water under great pressure.' So, basically, just try to pull off a Water Gun, but use a lot of water. It says here that once it's mastered, it can punch through steel."

Frogadier nodded. He swelled with what seemed to be a large amount of water before releasing it and drenching almost everything in his peripheral vision...

...including Ash himself.

"O-Okay," Ash managed, shivering under the cold water that had drenched him. "T-t-try ag-g-ga-gain."

Frogadier nodded, although he looked a bit strained. He performed the attack about twice before sinking to the ground, exhausted. Ash hadn't realised how much one single Hydro Pump (or at least it's pitifully weaker variant) had tired him. The bubble frog pokémon looked close to fainting.

He hadn't expected this. He thought learning Hydro Pump would be as easy as cake, considering how much stronger Frogadier had become since he'd evolved, but obviously he had misjudged his capabilities. It looked like his pokémon would need all the training they'd get.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Late in the afternoon, Ash found himself in front of the fighting dojo, which was right next to the Pokémon Centre, his friends at either side of him. Brutus had taken a certain liking to Mago berries, one which the rest of his pokémon hated, so Ash had stored up on them at the nearest berry store. here were quite a lot of trainers inside, and it looked like this tournament was quite popular. Many of them looked like experienced trainers who were grinning as they gazed into the distance, as if dreaming of the prospects of gaining a Tyrogue on their teams. Few were cracking their knuckles, glancing at each other and mentally preparing themselves for the onslaught. Ash knew that they all had experienced pokémon, but he had Brutus on his side, who was on another level by himself.

He grinned. They wouldn't know what hit them.

As soon as he took a step inside the dojo, a hulking figure blocked his way. Ash frowned, looking up as he saw a scowling, hard face glaring at him and Ritchie; his face looked like it'd been made from bricks.

"You!" he barked, making Ash flinch. "Have you come to participate in the blood-boiling, fighting dojo tournament?!"

"Um, y-yeah," he mumbled timidly.

The man harrumphed. "We do not allow the meek to enter the dojo! State your reason – why are you here?!"

"I'm here to take part in the dojo tournament!" Ash exclaimed, positively shouting now.

The man nodded. "That's better. I am Kiyo, the master of this dojo. I trained with Master Bruno of the Elite Four when he was Gym Leader here! But that was before those psychos took over..." he growled.

"You trained with Bruno?" Ritchie whistled. "That's...impressive."

"Yes. And now I am – Master Bruno!" he squealed, his face registered in shock and glee.

Brock frowned. "Excuse me?"

"MASTER BRUNO!!" Kiyo repeated, shrieking now as he jumped up and down in mirth. Ash decided that talking about Bruno had made him lose a couple of screws, but as he turned around and saw a humongous form approaching the dojo, he had to agree with Kiyo – Bruno of the Elite Four was heading towards them.

He was two meters tall and built like the abominable snowman, with numerous muscles under a vein webbed skin. He'd thought that Lt. Surge was tall when he'd met him, but that was before Ash had seen Bruno. Next to the Elite Four member, Surge looked downright runty.

He wore nothing but plain, white track pants and sweatbands on his left wrist. Dwayne Harrison, Pewter City's ex-ex-gym leader, looked like his trainee. Ash didn't know how he'd possibly fit inside the dojo, but he managed it.

"Kiyo, my friend!" he said amicably, bending low enough for Ash to glimpse his face, which was handsome and chiselled like a movie star. "It's been so long!"

"M-Master Bruno!" Kiyo looked close to tears now. "How are you...I mean—"

"Oh, I just came to catch up." He waved his hands dismissively, which were the size of catchers' mitts. The entire dojo, which had gone silent at his arrival, was now making a commotion; Kiyo threatened them with disqualification if they didn't shut up.

"And who're you five?" Bruno asked swiftly. "Aren't you two Gym Leaders? I thought I might've seen you two at a conference."

Brock nodded. "Yes, sir. I'm Brock, Gym Leader of Pewter City, and this is Misty, Gym Leader of Cerulean," he introduced, pointing at the redhead, who simply waved back, "and these three are Leaf Rose, Ash Ketchum and Ritchie Hiroshi."

"Hello, sir," Ash said, grinning. "I'm a huge fan." Ritchie and Leaf simply nodded, stunned by his appearance.

Bruno winked at him. "Ketchum, did you say? Anyway, old friend, I thought of entering this tournament. You know, for old times sake."

His heart sank. If Bruno really was participating, there was no chance he could win it. No chance any of the trainers present here could win it.

But he wasn't going to quit. He was going to go with all he had, and maybe...Maybe he could impress Bruno enough for him to take him to train at the Indigo Plateau! And then Lance himself was congratulating him on being such a wonderful trainer and was awarding him—

"Hello?" Leaf knocked his temple. "Hello? Earth to Ash?"

Ash blinked. "Um, yeah. What?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just that your name's being called out and I just want you to dream off into space and get you disqualified," she said snappishly.

Ash frowned. His name was indeed being called out. He couldn't believe that he was fighting right off the bat, but nevertheless he walked towards the centre, hearing few "best of luck"s and a "I'm going to beat you" from Ritchie.

This was it.

"Trainer Ash will be in the red corner while Trainer Geoff will be in the blue corner!" he heard Kiyo's voice declare.

Geoff, who was spotting a white karate gi, slammed his fist against his chest and breathed through his nose. "My family has been training fighting-type pokémon for seven generations! You'll find it very hard to beat me!"

Ash rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

Kiyo, who was acting as the referee, moved to the halfway position of the battlefield – which was just a couple of mats with a thick, white border to mark the boundary. "Coin toss has determined that Geoff will have the first move. Trainers, release your pokémon!"

In a flash of light, Brutus appeared at his side, giving a few warm up jabs at the air. He grunted and glared at Geoff, who was eyeing him carefully.

Geoff sent out a weird feline pokémon, who had creamish fur and a dark pink coat. Not knowing what it was, he scanned it with his pokedex.

"Mienfoo, the martial arts pokémon. It is a fighting type pokémon. It takes pride in the speed at which it can use moves. In fights, they dominate with onslaughts of flowing, continuous attacks. This Mienfoo is a female."

Ash grinned. Ever since he'd met Frogadier, he had asked Professor Oak to install information about Unovan, Kalosian and Alolan pokémon into his pokedex. With the number of exotic and rare pokémon trainers got to Kanto, he needed all the information be could get.

"Are the trainers ready?" Kiyo shouted. "I shall repeat the rules: only one pokémon can be used, and that same pokémon will be used throughout the tournament. Only physical moves are allowed!" Ash and Geoff nodded, and the sideliners murmured in acknowledgement.

Kiyo slashed his hand downwards. "Begin!"

"Fake Out!" Geoff shouted immediately.

Mienfoo sprinted at Brutus, clapping her hands an inch away from him, invoking a wave of energy that startled Brutus enough for him to lose his focus. Then, Mienfoo swung towards her left, slapping Brutus and earning a roar of anger from the pig-monkey pokémon before scuttling away to her position in front of her trainer.

"Brutus, stay calm!" Ash commanded. "Focus!"

Brutus nodded, calming himself as he tensed his muscles and an orange glow channeled its way to his fists.

Geoff smirked. "Mienfoo, Bulk Up!"

Brutus grunted, glaring at the Mienfoo who he'd like nothing other than pummel furiously. Mienfoo simply tensed her muscles as a white glow surrounded her body, raising her defences and attacks.

"Drain Punch!" Geoff yelled. "Then Force Palm!"

When Mienfoo was a second away from Brutus, Ash snapped. "Now!"

Brutus roared in rage before lashing out with a glowing fist, catching Mienfoo in the face with a powerful punch that sent her flying like a rocket (not a Rocket, but...Ah, you get what he meant) where she crashed against the wall, slumping down in unconsciousness.

Focus had merely been a form of distraction. What he'd really meant was Focu Punch, an attack which required the user to have an immense amount of focused energy before striking out with a devastating punch that could obliterate even pickup trucks to nothing. His opponent had merely thought he was commanding Brutus to use Focus Energy, but instead Brutus had simply steamrolled Mienfoo in one hit.

Brutus snorted before roaring at his immense strength. The entire dojo was quite – Geoff was staring at Brutus in nothing but shock and awe, his mouth hanging open. A few trainers were frowning. Even Bruno had a raised eyebrow, and he was looking at the fighting-type with an entirely new interest. Ash was sure they were all thinking the same thing:

Maybe this tournament wasn't as easy as they'd thought.

"Mienfoo has fallen!" Kiyo declared, grinning. "That makes Primeape the winner! Ash proceeds top the next round!"

Saying "focus" had just been a diversion. Perhaps Geoff had thought that he was just telling Brutus to use Focus Energy, or to simply 'focus', but Ash had actually meant it to be Focus Punch, a command that the Primeape had understood. And Ash was happy for that.

Ash smiled. "Great job, Brutus! High five!"

The crowd cheered wildly. Brutus kept nodding, and Ash recalled him and walked away before he'd get an even bigger head. "And that's just the first match, Trainers! The next two trainers will be Rick and..."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Ash was bored.

He didn't realise how popular this thing was. There were sixteen trainers in all, so that meant eight matches. Most of them were pretty short, but by the time the second round had begun, Ash was starving.

But that didn't mean he was going to miss out on the action.

There was one trainer who had a ferocious creature, which was large, Ape-like, with two long arms ending in wickedly sharp claws and two short legs – Vigoroth, he thought he'd called it. The creature seemed extremely hyperactive and was unable to stay still, slashing at the opponent pokémon whenever it came close. Finally it delivered a swift Brick Break that knocked out the Machop into next year.

Ritchie had used Zippo for his first battle, which was a close one. The opponent had sent out a Graveler that had been on the verge of defeating the Charmeleon with a Rollout if it hadn't been for Zippo's quick thinking and using Metal Claw to flip the boulder over and finish it off with a barrage of Mega Punches.

Ash was particularly interested in watching Bruno's match (his opponent looked close to crying). Bruno had sent out a Hitmontop that looked recently-evolved, though no doubt powerful. The other trainer had put up what you'd call a good fight against an Elite Four member before Hitmontop had obliterated his pokémon with a devastating Triple Kick.

Then there were several decent matches, several disqualifications, and Ash himself got off easy because the Sneasel he was facing used a reflexive Ice Beam. There were fewer trainers now, experienced trainers, stronger trainers; the third round was just about to commence.

Kiyo fished around for names in the box containing slips of paper. He took a quick glance and said, "Ritchie Hiroshi versus Ash Ketchum!"

The Pallet Town trainers glanced at each other and grinned. Granted, they both wanted to battle each other in the final round, but this time was better than ever. They were itching for a battle.

"Trainers, send forth your pokémon!" Ash sent out Brutus, Zippo by Ritchie. "Three, two, one..." He slashed his hand down. "Begin!"

"Fire Punch!" Ritchie yelled instantly.

"Brutus, dodge it!" Ash shouted.

Brutus snorted. He wasn't going to run away from some itty-bitty flames—

Zippo's fist connected against the side of his face, the fire scorching the fur and sending him reeling in pain.

"Brutus!" Ash said. "Why did you—"

"Don't let him breathe, Zippo!" Ritchie said, grinning. "Fire Punch, both fists!"

"Block it!" Ash yelled urgently. Zippo zoomed towards Brutus, both hands coated with flames as he furiously jabbed at Brutus's midsection and then his face. The ape didn't know where to block the attacks; Zippo just kept coming at him, smirking and punching like it was nothing.

Finally, Zippo stopped – maybe to breathe, or because it was tiring him, Ash didn't care – and he and Brutus took this as an opening. "Thunder Punch!" Ash ordered. Brutus's glove-like fist crackled with electricity before knocking the wind out of the Charmeleon, and Ash felt a dark twinge of satisfaction as he heard a crack.

Ritchie cursed under his breath. "Zippo, use Slash!"

"Catch hold of him, Brutus!" Ash hollered.

Brutus sidestepped just as Zippo lunged at him, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards him, earning a yelp from the Charmeleon. Brutus wound back a fist to throw a punch that would send him reeling in—

"Fire Fang!"

Zippo's maw blazed with fire before clamping his fangs on the Primeape's left arm. Primeape screamed in pain before finally delivering a punch that made Zippo let go of him, but the damage was done; his arm was gouged and had burns.

Brutus glared at Zippo, breathing heavily, and the Charmeleon cowered slightly before regaining his composure. Zippo snarled, extinguishing the flames in his mouth as he waited for his trainer's next order.

"Brutus, use Karate Chop!" Ash bellowed.

Ritchie wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. "Metal Claw!"

The Charmeleon's claws hardened and turned a violent shade of steel before he gouged at Brutus, drawing a little blood.

And Brutus's rage exploded.

Zippo shrieked as Brutus pounced, like a predator moving in for the kill, and barrelled into him. Zippo yowled in pain, Brutus still ruthlessly pummelling him, the creature who had the audacity to make him bleed, he was going to show him, tear, rip out limbs from—

"I-I forfeit!"

Ash couldn't blame him. He winced as he saw Zippo's hurt form withdrawing from the ordeal he had gone through and he disappeared in a beam of red energy. The crowd had gone very silent; Ritchie's face was bone-white. Even Kiyo looked afraid of Brutus, who continued to scream in anger and fury at the reptile's disappearance.

He made a mental note to bring Bunsen out in front of Brutus only after, say, five-to-six years.

"W-well it seems that Ritchie's Charmeleon is unable to continue," Kiyo said, "and so Primeape is declared the winner of this match!"

Ash heaved a sigh of relief as he recalled Brutus from the field. Ritchie had slipped out of sight; Leaf, Brock and Misty were staring at him in horror. Leaf mouthed, "Apologise," jeering her head in Ritchie's direction.

Ash nodded. He owed his friend an apology.

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He met him at the Pokémon Centre.

Ritchie gave Nurse Joy a nod of thanks before turning towards the sound of footfalls.

His expression turned bitter. "Oh. It's you."

Ash winced at his bitter tone, but he couldn't blame Ritchie. He just saw his starter pokémon – his best friend – being beaten ruthlessly. "Uh..." Ash shifted nervously in his spot. "Ritchie, I'm—"

"It's okay. Forget it." Ritchie sighed. "I know it's not your fault. Nurse Joy said that it'll take some time for Zippo to heal, but he'll be alright in a couple of hours. But do me a favour...Never bring that crazy chimp in front of me when we're battling."

Ash managed a shaky laugh. That's when he knew things were going to be okay. Ritchie and he could not fight and still keep grudges over it. They were simply too good for it.

Ritchie shook his head and smiled at Ash, playfully punching his arm. "C'mon. Good luck for the finals...assuming Bruno doesn't kick your butt."

Together, they headed towards the dojo.

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Somehow, the crowd of spectators seemed even larger than before. Maybe more people wanted to see the fight in person than over the Internet, Ash didn't know. All he knew was that his nerves were acting more than usual, but it's not everyday when you get to battle an Elite Four member.

"Ash, right?" Bruno asked, and Ash's heart skipped a beat. "I know your brother, Red...Let's see if you have the same skill as he has!"

His eyes widened. "My brother?"

Bruno nodded. "But enough talking. All this is making my blood boil from anticipation!"

Kiyo cleared his throat. "The finals are about to begin! The rules are the same as before: only one pokémon, no special moves, no time limit. Are the trainers ready?" Bruno and Ash nodded. With flashes of light, Brutus and Bruno's Hitmontop appeared on the mats, stretching their muscles.

Kiyo raised his hand and the quickly slashed it down. "Commence!"

"Jump Kick!" Bruno ordered immediately.

"Dodge it!" Ash commanded; he knew that Jump Kick had a terribly high recoil damage and if Hitmontop missed it would be easier to defeat him.

Hitmontop crouched, springing upwards and yelling as he plummeted downwards, aiming his kick at Brutus, who did indeed dodge – he learnt from his mistake from the fight against Zippo that he wasn't invincible. Hitmontop was going to crash against the mat, there was no doubt he was going to get hurt—

"Rolling Kick!" Bruno shouted.

Hitmontop curled up into a ball and, impossibly, landed perfectly and safely on the floor mats where he continued to spin with the help of the spike on top; Brutus and Ash were stunned. Hitmontop looked like a blur of blue and brown as he slammed his feet into Brutus's midsection, sending him flying away where he crashed against the wall.

"Wha—?" Ash blinked wildly. "How—?"

"Hitmontop, Rapid Spin!"

Hitmontop continued to spin wildly on his head as he advanced towards Brutus, crashing into the mammal, who grunted in pain and clutched his body. Ash cursed under his breath. He'd allowed himself to get distracted by Hitmontop's techniques and let Brutus get hurt from his attacks.

"Brutus, use Fury Swipes when he comes close!" Ash bellowed.

"Oh, Hitmontop won't do that," Bruno said, smirking. "Stone Edge!"

The handstand pokémon stopped spinning and stomped on the mat, which triggered a blade of stone to punch out of the floor. Ash's eyes widened as the Stone Edge caught Brutus cleanly in his midsection and sent him flying to his side, where he landed roughly.

"Brutus!" he exclaimed in concern. "You alright?"

The Primeape grunted and pushed himself up, brushing off the pain. It was still hurting him, but he was not going to let an overgrown top beat the stuffing out of him.

"I like your Primeape, Ketchum!" Bruno grinned. "That one can take a hit!"

He didn't bother replying. "Brutus!" he said, a sudden idea hitting him. "If you can, use that stone as a shield!"

Brutus grinned. He sprinted towards the stone and plucked it out of the ground, groaning slightly as he buckled under its weight. It was heavy, no doubt, but not something that he couldn't lift.

"Destroy it, Hitmontop," Bruno said lazily. "Brick Break!"

Ash smirked. "Throw it at him, Brutus!"

He saw Bruno's grin fade and say, "Oh, crud."

Brutus roared, spinning to gain circular motion before he swung it at Hitmontop, who was already in motion. The pokémon's eyes widened as the blade of stone slammed into him, knocking the wind out of him as it exploded into a million pieces.

The dojo was filled with several "Ooooooh!" and "That's gotta hurt!" He saw Ritchie laughing, Misty and Brock wincing and Leaf watching the scene with some sort of horrible fascination, the way she might see a car wreck in progress. Ash turned his eyes on the battlefield to see Brutus launching himself at Hitmontop, who was struggling to stay standing while clutching his sides tenderly.

"Thunder Punch!" Ash hollered, and he was pleased to see Brutus connect an electrified fist to Hitmontop's face. The headstand pokémon groaned in pain before crumpling to the ground.

Ash pumped his fist in the air. "Finish this with Cross Chop!"

Hitmontop fell down once again when Brutus's Cross Chop struck him in his chest.

Bruno, who was watching the proceedings with his mouth half-open, got over his initial shock. "Hitmontop, if you can, go all out with Counter!!!"

Ash paled.

Not good.

Brutus whimpered as Hitmontop screamed, ignoring all the pain in his body as he let loose his rage onto his assailant. He punched, kicked, swiped, head-butted – failed aimlessly to attack. Ash had rarely seen pokémon use Counter, because it was a move that needed so much raw power and could only be used by pokémon of high experience. Hitmontop, surrounded by a fiery red aura, soundlessly thrashed his opponent silly.

The Primeape crashed into the ground, and Hitmontop fell down at the same time.

"Um..." Kiyo looked from either pokémon until he cleared his throat. "The winner will be declared when one pokémon manages to stand up and conscious by the count of ten. If not, then the match will be declared a draw! One! Two! Three!"

Hitmontop and Brutus both pressed their fists against the floor, using all the strength left in their muscles to help them get up—

"Four! Five!"

Brutus and Hitmontop were groaning, they managed to get their faces off the ground—

"Six!"

Brutus was on his knees now, he was surely going to get up before Hitmontop would—

"Seven! Eight! Nine!"

Hitmontop's legs were trembling, he was going to lose control—

"TEN!"

Brutus suddenly got a strained expression on his face and dropped down like a sack of rocks, unconscious, while Hitmontop kicked up and hopped twice before shaking off the pain.

The entire dojo exploded, and Ash sighed; a small part of him knew that Bruno was going to win, but he was nevertheless happy; Brutus had done a lot more than he'd asked him to. While the rest of them swarmed Bruno, Ash walked up to Brutus and broke open a revive capsule, pouring the powder down his mouth. His eyes fluttered open and he had an annoyed expression oh his face. Ash simply smirked before pulling out a Hyper Potion and spraying it's contents on Brutus's wounds.

"You were awesome, Brutus," Ash told him. "That was some terrifyingly cool battling."

Brutus grunted, and Ash laughed. "Yeah, I'll give you all the Mago berries you want."

He stood up and helped Brutus stand up, too. Leaf, Ritchie, Brock and Misty were running towards him, all smiling and grinning.

Leaf shivered. "That was absolutely—"

"Cool," Ritchie completed, grinning ear-to-ear.

"Terrifying," Misty corrected.

"Maybe terrifyingly cool," Brock suggested. "But, Brutus, you were amazing."

Brutus nodded. He'd earned that respect.

"Now, the prize giving ceremony!" Kiyo repeated for the fifth time. "As Master Bruno is the winner of this month's tournament, we present him—"

"Ah, I don't want the pokémon," Bruno said dismissively. "I just came here for some amazing battles!"

Kiyo blinked. "Um, okay. So, since Master Bruno does not want the Tyrogue, we shall give it to our runner-up – to Trainer Ash Ketchum!"

Ash punched at the air. "Yeah!"

While the other trainers quickly dispersed, maybe to train their pokémon, Kiyo presented him with two TM vouchers and a great-ball, which Ash immediately registered to his trainer ID. Kiyo told him that Tyrogue were the pokémon of the Clan of Cianwood and should be trained carefully, as they were hot-blooded and bred specifically to endure tough battles. Ash didn't get half of what he said, but he got the gist of it.

This one was special.

Later, Bruno himself came to Ash and proposed an interesting offer: to allow him to train Brutus at the harsh terrains of Victory Road.

"I'm heading there for six months to train Hitmontop and two other pokémon so that I can use them in League matches," he explained. "And your Primeape seems like an interesting one. It would make my day if you allowed me to train him and make a strong fighter out of him."

Ash's throat felt dry. Sure, he wanted Brutus to get stronger, and Brutus wanted that too, but giving him away to a trainer after they'd spent barely a week together? Ash didn't want to trade him off.

"Um, Mr Bruno, sir, I'm actually quite honoured," he said, "but, uh...I don't want to give Brutus away. He—"

"Oh, that's not what I meant, Ketchum!" Bruno genially slapped his back, and Ritchie caught him before he could fall on the pavement. "I simply wanted to train him. He'll still be registered to your account, and you'll be able to retrieve him whenever you want...So, do you accept my offer?"

Ash looked at Brutus, who had a gleam in his eyes. "Well, what do you say, Brutus? Does six months of solid training sound good to you?"

The ape slammed his fist against his chest. As if his trainer needed to ask.

Ash nodded at Bruno. "He's all your, Mr Bruno."

"Great!" Ash recalled Brutus and handed over the pokeball to Bruno, who fished out a pokedex of his own and tapped it – Ash didn't know how he managed to do that, since a single tap might've opened a billion apps – and scanned the pokeball before clipping it on his belt.

"Here is my number," he said, "in case you need Brutus back or any tips for that Tyrogue of yours. Happy training!"

Within half an hour he was out of sight, because that guy was tall.

Ritchie shook his head. "I'll never unlock the secret to your luck, Ash."

"Where do we go now?" Misty asked, looking at the number of stars in the black sky.

"I want a good night's sleep," Leaf said. "It's so late!"

Ash grinned. "How about we go train? I'm only joking!" he added hastily, looking at the murderous expressions on Leaf's and Misty's faces.

"There's a nice restaurant down on fifth avenue," Brock said. "Why don't we go there?"

Ash shrugged. "Okay. I'm starving anyway," he groaned, his stomach rumbling.

The only thing to ruin this picture-perfect moment was the Rocket spy tailing Ash, muttering into a receiver, "Do I engage him now, Executive Proton?"

"No. I have clear orders from the boss saying that he'll have my hide if I do anything to those runts. Just don't lose them," a voice fuzzed from the earpiece, and it went out.

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 **Not much to say here. So Ash's got a Tyrogue on his team, which will most probably evolve into Hitmonchan...since that's my favourite, and Hitmontop sucks. Brutus will make a reappearance in the League Arc later, but not before that.** **We also see Ash training sincerely, because a lot of people were telling me to include training scenes...and after reading a whole lot of other pokémon fics, I have to say it's necessary.**

 **Next is chapter 23 - Pokemon Tower**


	24. Note

Hey, guys. I have some...I guess you can call it interesting news.

I'm discontinuing this story.

It's not like I've lost interest in the story; I most definitely am interested. It's just that...I'm not satisfied with what I've written. What I've done is take major chunks out of the anime and implemented in the fic, just making a few changes here and there. I'm not pleased with it at all. I've been reading a lot of other fics, and in comparison to them this looks stupid. Several reviews have made me think a lot; my story is quite uninteresting, and they're right. I'll make it better.

So, all I'm saying is...this is on hiatus, I guess? I'll be back in, like, a week or a month with a new story – I'm keeping this up there just in case I get nostalgic for the stuff I wrote – and I'll be really happy if you guys start reading that and tell me how you feel about it!

As for my other stories...I don't know. I'll be updating Conqueror and PMD: Rings of Distortion, although I'm not quite sure of Earthshaker. I guess I have to finalise my plans for that, since it's related to this story and in the same universe.

Until next time,

Cheers,

Warsofshadows


End file.
